four.

Hair the perfect shade of red and brown, mixed so perfectly as if by a perfect Creator. Eyes an endless blue. A smile radiating joy and life. A mind far beyond her age. A heart beating out compassion and love and laughter.

Four years of watching and marveling as learning took place and limbs stretched and character began to develop.

Four.

To celebrate, we combined a few of Kate's favorite things: girlfriends, pink, ballet, and ... treats. So invites were made and sent out saying, "Come twirl with the birthday girl..."

A sweet girl from our church came and taught the girls a "mini" ballet class. Let's just say there was lots of twirling going on in our apartment.

For the favors, I made these booklets personalized for each girl. I actually used the same template for the invitations - just leaving them full size. You must try them. They came out darling, and Kate loves little books like this to draw and write and adorn with stickers. They were joined in a clear bag with a set of ballet pencils, a heart bracelet, and dance stickers.

Fun was had by all. I think we might just have a ballet, all-girls party every year!

***

Oh, what an honor it is to be your Mommy, Miss Kate. I remain so thankful for your health and your humor. Your curiosity and your sensitivity. Your complexity and your steadfast love. So much of life in these past four years. And so much ahead, my love.

Your family celebrates you today and every day.

adventure #2

David generously revealed the second surprise adventure for Mother's Day last weekend. The dates are reserved on the calendar but the specifics are left for a big reveal an hour before. (how else is a girl supposed to know what to wear!?) This one was prefaced with a disclaimer that they will not all be this grand. Good to know.

Last weekend, he surprised me with a dinner at a restaurant I have wanted to try for a while, Philippe. A Philippe Chow restaurant providing delicious Chinese food. Think PF Chang's goes fine dining. It is making my New York "good to try" list. Good food. Great ambiance. Superb service. Great location. Check. Check. Check.

After dinner we walked leisurely down to Rockefeller Center on a beautiful evening and right into Radio City Music Hall for the premiere of Cirque de Soleil's Zarkana. Neither of us have been to a Cirque show and I had no idea what to expect, except knowing it's an adult circus of sorts? To be honest, even now that I've seen one - I still don't know how I would describe it.

The website says it is "fantastically bizarre" and I could not say it any better than that. The performances are unbelievable. The costumes and staging - like none I have seen before. The storyline was a bit lost on me, though. There were definitel

y moments where I felt like it was all a little on the "dark" side. Have any of you seen a Cirque show and am I just completely missing something? Perhaps.

I left in awe at the many talents God has given unique to each of us. Sometimes, well a lot of the time, I feel like my talents are really not that special. I feel like I'm OK at many things but not really great at any one of them. I always admire those who are masters in their field. These performers are examples of discipline and commitment and ... sheer mastery over their talent. It was inspiring actually what the human body is capable of doing - with a little "nuts" thrown in for good measure.

It's made me really ponder what I want to have mastery over in my life. Lately, I've been thinking about what it would mean to truly have command over the Word. To meditate and delight in reading God's love letter, His instruction manual, in a way that I could not get enough and it was planted deep in the soil of my heart, so that the fruits of peace and love and understanding and discernment would naturally grow in my life.

The past few weeks I have felt a new hunger to really consult and know the Word and what it says about marriage, finances, parenting and education. I have so many "marriage" books, "parenting" books and the like. I am just feeling the need to put those down and pick the Bible up.

What does the Bible say about parenting, singleness, marriage? What does the Bible say about children? What does the Bible say about education? I want my answers to not be because of a particular book and philosophy but because I have dug deep in the Word and prayed about how the Spirit would play that out in our family. How would my parenting change? How would my answers change and deepen to those questioning my actions...daily? How much more could God be glorified as those roots take hold and a strong oak of wisdom grows as shade for my home?

Nothing like going from Zarkana back to the Word, but you know. That's just where my mind is today.

my lil' ballerina.

My lil' ballerina had her ballet recital last weekend. Her group did a performance to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" by Jewel. Warning: it will bring on the tears.

Proud momma.

We are so proud of you sweet girl.

minute cares.

This morning was not a smooth morning for me as a mother. Not one of my finer moments. Nothing major to write about but I responded in a less than holy manner with my daughter over something quite little actually. A minute that could have been a teachable moment for her became all about me and thus, became ugly. I was not sensitive to her. I was frustrated with her. I was not wanting to care for her, I was more focused on the need to fix something and leave. I apologized and I asked for forgiveness, which she gave freely.

I have had a less than positive attitude this week about a hot summer in the City with two highly energetic kids, living in an apartment with no car to just... get out. I confess my ugliness. My pride. My lack of faith and trust in the Big Picture. I breathe in and breathe out a lot these days and am repeating that famous line, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can" quite often. There are minute cares that we all experience. They might seem trivial in the moment, but I desire to be more aware of them and pray through the minutes rather than just rely on my own strength. Clearly, this morning, I failed. But, thankfully there are many more minutes to this day. As my kids nap and I'm in a cool apartment while it's 100 degrees outside, I reflect.

This passage from Keep a Quiet Heart by Elizabeth Elliot comes to mind. I sit. Weighed by it's reminder. Thankful for more minutes ... and for forgiveness.

"Emily, wife of America's first foreign missionary, Adoniram Judson, wrote home from Moulmein, Burma in January 1847:

'This taking care of teething babies, and teaching natives to darn stockings and talking English back end foremost ... in order to get an eatable dinner, is really a very odd sort of business for Fanny Forester [ her penname - she was a well-known New England writer before marrying Judson] ... But I begin to get reconciled to my minute cares."

She was ambitious for 'higher and better things', but was enabled to learn that 'the person who would do great things well must practice daily on little ones; and she who would have the assistance of the Almighty in important acts, must be daily and hourly accustomed to consult His will in the minor affairs of life.' "

one.

my sweet boy is now one.

cruising like there is no tomorrow. not quite walking on his own yet.

climbing on anything that is elevated. oh, and posing like a model. hilarious.

learning quickly how to push his sister's buttons and is holding his own in sibling rivalry already. pretty frightening and quite impressive. they have so much fun together.

getting more and more teeth. eating everything in sight: including, play dough, rocks, dog food, sticks from the park, you name it!

speaking of eating. he enjoyed a nice little cupcake on his birthday. what a treat!

his sister even came to help him and share some of the attention. :)

although, i think he was just fine on his own.

happy one year, little one! we love you beyond measure.