Happy Birthday!

Allison turns 19 today! Happy Birthday! While in grade school I don't think Allison was always too thrilled about having a summer birthday afterall kids who celebrated their birthdays during the school year got to bring treats on their special day. Children who had summer birthdays celebrated their "Half Birthday". While fun it wasn't always as exciting. As has been the case with many of Allison's birthdays we have plans. The nice thing about plans is that they make for memorable birthdays. When Allison turned 1 we were in Mackinaw, Michigan on vacation. While there Allison enjoyed chasing the seagulls in the park while calling them all "kitty!".

One year we were tent camping in Door County, Wisconsin when we were hit with a downpour. It rained from breakfast through late into the evening. Allison and Joel played a game in the van while Ken and I took down the tent and everything else and packed up a gallon or two of rainwater and retired to a hotel before we left town early in the morning.

Our birthday hat was bought on vacation right before Allison's birthday and because she was young enough then she gladly wore it around town for her special day.

Six years ago we were on our way home, on Allison's birthday, from a vacation when we received a call. We made plans all the way home, ordered pizza for the kids from our cell phone, dumped all the luggage in the sunroom and went and picked up Brandon. I don't think we can top that, she'll have to work on that one.

While it truly seems like we just brought her home from the hospital in a car Ken decorated with pink ribbons she is growing up to be a beautiful young woman.

Happy Birthday Allison!

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Life goes marching on....

There are some times in life when some things that happen make you realize that you are not as young as you used to be (and I'm not talking about the aching joints when we first get out of bed in the morning).

This weekend we are going to a wedding. I remember when this young person was born, as moms we shared pregnancy stories and we shared milestones as our children grew and increased in number. Now this young lady is getting married and I know that she is only the beginning of many to come. Now that I think about it an old roommate watched her daughter get married earlier in the spring and just tonight our oldest daughter is getting together with a friend that has just announced her engagement - yikes! Life is moving quickly.

It's times like this when I wonder, "Are we doing a good job training our children in the ways of the Lord?" Are we teaching them all they need to know? It makes our job as parents seem so much more important when I think that in a few short years it could be a child of ours walking down the aisle to start a new season in their life.

I am excited for our friend's daughter. This young couple is walking with the Lord, she is marrying a young man of integrity. It will be a wonderful time of celebrating with them.

So while I contemplate that some day I will be the mother of the bride or groom I am struck with how life is moving on. I pray that as the days move on that my family and friends are walking with the Lord, that they are daily growing closer to the One who put our families together.

And if I wasn't sure I was getting older tonight Natalie had her first official babysitting job. :)