Happy birthday to our Agent E!

Agent E,
Pure and simple you are a delight!  Happy 9th birthday!

Shortcake turns FOUR!

Our princess Shortcake is four years old!

At four you:
- Luv your "friends" (AKA: brothers)
- Play kitty for hours
- You ask if we think you're pretty and clearly state that "gurils are pretty, boys are cool"
- You nap for about an hour every day but you party and keep Agent L up when it's time for bed
- Doing things "all by myself" is important to you
- You adore being tickled and laying down begging Papa to tickle you more
- You sing songs about God and about how you're never alone with Him and you sometimes slip in "don't be mad mom, I'm just a princess having fun" (seriously!)
- You love being outside and you can chase a soccer ball and tackle along with your brothers
- And finally, you love pink, pink, and more pink and dressing up like a princess.

Planning a party, but not

Dates are flying by and I find myself dragging my feet to plan Shortcake's fourth birthday party.  Her big day is two days away and the family party is five days away.  It's not the sentiment that "she's growing up too fast".  There is that but what it really is . . . is that we've passed over the half-way mark.  Of her nearly four years she has spent over half of them without knowing my mom.  Bless Oma's heart because she is a dear heart but Shortcake knows Oma, not Grandma K and it hurts so terribly.

This is all probably compounded since it looks like the family home is as good as sold.  Last weekend I breathed the smells of home that I'll probably never smell again, open doors and cupboards for the last time, ran my hands over shelves my Grandpa built, spent time in the last room my mom ever had consciousness in.

I probably shouldn't be writing when I weep.  It's all pretty raw right now.  How do we become so attached to stuff and places?  Lord please help me to be more like you because of this pain.