I just celebrated my thirty-third birthday and it was quite memorable. Mark and I had a truly enjoyable evening out where we had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants out on Lake Hefner - gorgeous views! Mark gave me a really touching birthday card and a beautiful silver bracelet from James Avery. He also ordered a custom engraved heart crosslet charm for the bracelet that has the kids' birth dates on the back. Ian and Gram (what the kids call my mom) made a birthday card for me and Ian wrote his own name (for the first time) on a card Mark got for me, from Ian. Ian did an awesome job - he clearly wrote each letter and did it really well. Ian got me a new necklace that he calls my "jewels" for my birthday. Gram helped pick it out and Ian was so excited to present it to me. He knows I often wear my diamond (or "star" as Ian calls it) necklace that Mark gave me for our wedding and how much it means to me. So Ian was so excited to give me a necklace, too. He has the sweetest heart!
On my actual birthday, my mom and the kids and I went to the Science Museum for the day and had a blast. We ventured into the planetarium show for the first time and it was a huge hit with Ian. He impressed us by knowing many of the answers to questions posed during the show. Anna decided the dark room was a good place to catch a nap on my lap so I enjoyed the snuggle time. The kids and I rode the two-story twisty slide in the tree house play area - keeping hold of those babies on the way down was quite a challenge. Anna liked it so much she tried to climb back up the slide to try it again. Ian enjoyed the new robotic arm exhibit, climbing in the airplane cockpit (one of his usual stops), playing in the kidzone area - including the John Deere life-size farm tractor, the child size fire station, and the squirt gun and bubble wand station. We enjoyed a packed lunch in the cafe and some energetic tumbling time in the gymnastics exhibit of the museum, before heading home for naps.
I get such joy watching how wide-eyed both kids get when they try something new, learn something new, or accomplish something new on their own. Watching them grow and live a life of pure joy is a remarkable blessing.
A Reflection....
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| Our wedding day |
On the way to dinner with Mark over the weekend one of my most favorite songs from my childhood came on the radio - "Forever Young" by Rod Stewart. That song reminds me of growing up and of my Dad - he played Rod Stewart a lot when I was a kid. And growing up there was always music around me - on the house stereo and in the car. Music isn't just entertainment for me - it's deeper than that. Music touches my soul. Some of my current favorites are "Sweetly Broken", "By Your Side", and "At The Foot Of The Cross". Their message is so powerful! These songs (and so many others) make me think of raising my own children, the amazing influence those around them have, and how I pray they have a true relationship with the Lord and follow His guidance from a young age.
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| Our first anniversary |
In my early twenties I always felt like ages 29-31 would be great years for me. Those where the years I looked forward to - not sure why at the time, but I do now. Little did I know those would be the years in which I would give birth to my precious babies. These years were also the authentic start to a deep relationship with my Lord and Savior. I grew up in the church but wasn't what you'd call a "church kid". I was baptized while in college but never truly opened my heart to Jesus until many years later. It wasn't until Mark was brought into my life that I sincerely asked the Lord into my heart and prayed for His will in my life. A decade ago I was a very different woman. I still marvel at how He worked to mold, teach, and "love" me into the woman Mark would choose to marry and raise a family with. As my walk with Christ matures each day and each year, I see more clearly how He has been with me my entire life, through so many lows, even when I didn't know He was....or didn't want to acknowledge His presence. He made it possible for me to not only make it through a few very dark times, but to come out stronger. His glory and His grace abound.
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