As you can see, Titus was thoroughly celebrated and spoiled for his second birthday. It is such a delight to see how all of the children adore and spoil him. They are captivated with him just as his parents are. He was given some bubbles (one of his favorite things), a dump attachment to his Fagus truck, his own tool box, a new whale for the bath, a new board book on Psalm 139, and of course, his hand knitted birthday sweater. He was also given a metal bucket and some beach digging tools for his “big gift,” which was a sandbox Brandon built for him. He has been delighted with it, as were all the kids. It’s really fun to give one of them a present that all of them can enjoy.
Just in time for spring’s arrival, something to keep him busy outside! Since his favorite animal to sleep with is his lion, I decorated his cake simply with a lion toy. Last year it was a whale. He loved it!
It’s so very bittersweet to celebrate these milestones with my baby. Oh, how I’d love to keep him a baby forever, he is such a delight. But babies don’t keep and he is growing faster than the rest, it seems. I treasure each day with this silly, giggly, fierce, rambunctious boy.
A few days after Noah’s birthday and just before Christmas, we celebrate our Phoebe girl. What a year she has had! I won’t go into details, but she received a difficult and rare medical diagnosis early in the year, underwent a slew of tests, and started medications. While we mourned, adjusted, and learned, Phoebe carried on with courage and a quiet confidence. This girl is so easy to celebrate. She is joyful and delightful despite the many challenges she faces. She asked for blueberry muffins for breakfast, and she still enjoyed hunting around for her hidden birthday presents. She received a new bible, which she had requested, some new chapter books, an embroidery kit, journal, a special dress from Little Cottonwood, earrings, some new horseback riding pants, and a pair of hand knit socks. Regrettably, her birthday sweater wasn’t quite done in time for her big day but I finished it up a few weeks later. She loves reading and crafting of all sorts so she was thrilled. Her birthday was a frigid day so we decided to stay home and be cozy and her best friend came over to hang out for most of the day which was a treat for Phoebe.
She asked for banana pudding for her birthday dessert, a favorite of hers and Brandon’s.
She is lovely and dear beyond words. What a piercingly beautiful thing it is to watch her grow up into this incredible, bright, compassionate, creative, diligent young woman. She and I also got to have a special one-on-one overnight getaway in January after the busy rush of the holidays was over. We binge-watched our current favorite show, Heartland, and had lots of cozy crafting time and cups of tea. Oh how I miss my little tiny Phoebe girl, but it is true, the teenage years and the enjoyment of friendship and discussions together is a wonderful thing to grow into. I treasure this girl with all my heart, admiring her courage, faith, and strength. God has mighty good things in store for her!
Late December came, the week of Christmas, and with it Noah’s twelfth birthday. He requested chocolate chip waffles for breakfast, and as always the day began with hunting for hidden gifts and opening them. He received a hand knit hoodie as well as a beanie, which I had meant to knit for him a couple of years ago. It fits a bit wonky, I think the issues is in the type of wool (it’s not very stretchy), but I do love the pattern and will maybe reknit it in a different yarn. He also received a wood burning kit, some books, and a RC car. Noah always requests to go for a hike on his birthday, and we just so happened to have beautiful weather that day. We hiked in a nearby wilderness area with lots of waterfalls, and it was a long hike but so worthwhile!
We sure do love our Noah man. He loves to tinker, to take things apart and figure out how they work. He loves to make noise and has endless energy. He loves to read, especially comics because he loves to laugh and is always finding the humor in life. He is the kindest big brother to little Titus and I love watching their relationship grow. His tender heart and peaceful, sensitive spirit can often be taken for granted or overlooked, but I treasure it. He is a gift and a joy!
As November neared to a close, our sweet Philippa turned 10 years old. This was a much anticipated birthday as she had told me weeks in advance that turning 10 was very special and that this birthday needed to be extra special. Of course, she’s absolutely right! She requested doughnuts for breakfast, chicken soup and rolls for dinner and a cake that was half vanilla, half chocolate with vanilla frosting. Titus was delighted with the balloons when he woke up. He was quite interested in the doughnuts on the table, but the sweetest part was that when it was time to begin he picked one and then placed it carefully on Philippa’s plate for her. For her gifts, she received a magic 8 ball which she desperately wanted, her hand knit sweater, a couple of skirts, a new set of Kingdom of Wrenly books, a stationary set, and a lego dragon set that she had asked for.
God graced her birthday with his own special gift, sending the first snow flurries of the winter! Being that snow wasn’t in the forecast, we were all especially delighted and ran outside to enjoy it while it lasted. It was such a beautiful day!
Appropriately, Philippa had asked for a “snowman” cake for this birthday. It was sort of a random request but she decorated it exactly as she wanted. It seemed fitting for this day which held the first snow flurries!
There’s something about the end of the day, the blowing out of the candles in the dark, the end of that year and the beginning of a new year of life. It is something sacred watching their faces aglow, lit up by all the candles marking each of those years, all a gift of grace. It’s always bittersweet for me. I treasure these fleeting days so much, and can feel time slipping through my fingers like sand.
To mark the very special occasion of turning 10, Philippa and I also had a night away together to my parents nearby airbnb where we had meals of her choosing, stayed up late watching movies, soaking in the hot tub, sharing a king-sized bed (she always wants to try sleeping in a very big bed) and doing some shopping in town together the next day. It was a delight and will be treasured in my heart forever, hopefully hers also.
She had also asked to have a small birthday party with friends. I don’t typically do a lot of parties, but this felt like the right time. Philippa so enjoyed her week of “chef’s camp” this past summer and really has an interest in cooking, so we decided to throw her a chef’s themed birthday party (on a different weekend). She and I created a menu together and basically recreated a mini “chef’s camp” experience for her friends. It was a bit crazy and chaotic all jammed together in the kitchen with 7 10-year-old girls but it was a blast! I think it was a hit.
In the end, she was quite spoiled with all the festivities and hopefully my sweet Philippa-girl had the best 10th birthday ever. I hope her little heart was full with all the love showered on her. It was truly unforgettable!
Well, hello there. Strange to see summer green and barefoot babies in the deep of winter, I would guess. I hope you don’t mind as I catch up on memories and moments from our year. Our garden began this year as it does most years, beautiful and lush before slowly succumbing to weeds and preoccupation. The best of intentions always give way to the busyness and heat.
I celebrated a big birthday this summer, my 40th, with family at our favorite restaurant and my parents spoiled me with diamond earrings! Brandon and I took the kids to our favorite lake nearby for a long weekend getaway to celebrate, which was the only gift I asked for. We rented the sweetest cutest A-frame cottage and enjoyed every minute of being together there.
It was truly the best birthday. Everyone enjoyed being away together at the lake and had endless fun swimming, kayaking, and fishing. As if that wasn’t spoiling enough, Brandon surprised me with a spinning wheel! Truly a dream. It was one of those times when your heart aches a bit with the purity and beauty of it all and you never want it to end, a little foretaste of glory.
I’ll share a bit more from our summer in my next post!
After watching all her siblings’ birthdays come and go this past winter, Wren has been wondering and asking regularly when it will finally be her turn. A few weeks ago as I was getting her dressed she begged, “Momma now can you make my buth-day? Because I’m bigger!” She has randomly asked me to make her “buth-day” a few times and I eventually came to understand she was talking about her cake. More than even her presents, she was excited about that cake. 🙂 The big day finally came last week. It’s hard to acknowledge that my little baby is really not a baby anymore, but a chatting, funny, mischievous three-year-old who is eager to keep up with her older brother and sisters. I sweetly reminisced on her birth, what a joyful and quiet time it was enjoying her arrival. She has brought such laughter and fun to our family these past three years in part because the older children have been old enough to really enjoy having a baby to carry around and take care of. They have enjoyed all her stages of growth and development just as Brandon and I have.
She wanted cereal for her birthday breakfast, and she was excited to see the balloon and bunny decorations. Afterwards she opened her gifts before daddy went to work. Her birthday sweater was the first thing she opened! I had stayed up until almost midnight the night prior finishing the last sleeve, weaving in ends and sewing on the two buttons. No time to block it, but she wouldn’t notice. (Now that I have blocked it, it looks better!) She wanted it on right away and has worn it most days since then. Very sweet girl to her mommy and very knit-worthy.
We gifted her a new backpack since the one she has been using isn’t very big or useful for hiking, and she’s starting to want to wear her backpack like the older kids when we go for hikes. We gave her a small journal with beeswax crayons in a little tin for her backpack travels. The best gifts are the ones they want to start using right away, and true to form she cracked open that tin and started coloring right away in her journal. We gave her The Story of the Orchestra: Carnival of Animals book because she loves this series so much. She was truly delighted! We also gave her the Our Little Adventures book set because it is beautiful, simple, and has bunnies and other forest creatures in it. She also received a new dress (called the wren dress), a sweet bunny pillow that I couldn’t resist from Target, a wooden animal/alphabet puzzle that she has enjoyed (and the other kids, too!), as well as a toy dragon (because for better or worse, all of my kids are obsessed with these dragons). Brandon’s parents gifted her with a sit-and-spin also.
My mom and the little guy she nannies (who is now a good friend to my kiddos) came over later in the morning and we made a trip out to Carl Sandburg to see the goats and go for a little walk. It was beautiful there and just starting to feel like spring, but we were bummed that the goat barn was still closed. Even still, it was a fun outing! Later, Wren finally got to have her cake. I made the same vegan carrot cake I’ve made every year for her so far (though this year I didn’t make it vegan) and it was delicious.
So it was all in all a very fun and happy day and I was sad to see it go. She is so proud to be three and bigger now, and I’m missing her little baby self but so grateful for the delight that it is to watch her grow.
Finally, ten years old. For a girl who can’t wait to grow up, this birthday has long been anticipated. Though I share in her joy and celebration for sure, this momma also feels the surprise and hint of sorrow that comes with realizing how quickly ten years have gone by and how quickly this firstborn of mine is changing and becoming a little lady. This girl has inspired and shaped so much of my journey as a mother, as firstborns often do. God couldn’t have given a better gift to us those ten years ago on the day before Christmas Eve in that early morning snowfall. God couldn’t have set apart a better kiddo for paving the way. She is strong, incredibly joyful, vivacious, enthusiastic, positive, resilient, determined, compassionate. She loves everyone easily and generously. She forgives quickly. She has a huge passion for learning and exploring, and her own sweet faith in God is growing and continually encourages and challenges me.
I would venture to guess there are few who enjoy a party and presents as much as Phoebe does, so her special day was much anticipated. She was excited and happy over every gift as you can see in the pictures. She received from us some horse backing riding pants and boots, her birthday sweater which I knit, a new dress for her Kaya doll, a book, a new breyer horseback rider for her collection, as well as a couple gifts from family. I especially enjoyed seeing the other children wrap up favorite stuffed animals and toys in their blankets and present them to Phoebe as gifts. We also surprised her with a riding lesson at the same stable where she participated in horse camp this past summer. Everyone enjoyed the outing to the stable and visiting with the horses, and I was reminded that one’s area of interest enriches all of our lives. Later that night we had cake and sang happy birthday and marveled over this little ray of light. What an endless source of delight to us she is.
This year the kids requested having their birthday gifts hidden around the house for them to find. It was really fun for all! Noah received some new carhartt bib coveralls, his knitted birthday sweater from me, the book My Side of the Mountain, and a couple awesome gifts from grandparents. We also gave him a Bruder John Deere tractor he’s had his eye on for some time. Probably the most special gifts were the handmade rifle and pistol Brandon made for him, though. He inscribed each gun with a scripture. Noah’s favorite song is Psalm 46 by Shane and Shane and without remembering that, Brandon happened to pick a portion of Psalm 46 to inscribe on the rifle. It was a sweet moment. He will treasure those guns for sure!
Noah requested that we go for a hike to see some waterfalls, and it was so good for us all to be out in nature for a bit. The waterfall pictured is High Falls at Dupont State Park. Only moments into our hike Noah fell hard and hurt his knee, and we almost turned back but he decided to try and keep going. It was peaceful, quiet, chilly and lovely in the woods. We left there and drove over to a favorite pottery place that does an open house in December where you can pick out a free cup and enjoy cider. Then back home to make the birthday boy’s dinner request: pizza. His cake this year wasn’t as exciting as I’d hoped it be, but I did manage to make some semblance of a fish on it with candy and sprinkles I happened to have on hand. I think he loved it. 🙂
Noah, as daddy often says to you, you’re a good man. And you are! Kind and strong, tenderhearted and sweet. You care so sweetly for your sisters. Sometimes its hard to be the only boy but you carry it well. You’ve grown up a lot this year and we’re so proud of you, your hard work, diligence in school, love for reading, your excitement about nature and love for exploring. Thank you for all your eagerness to work and help, thank you for your laughter and energy, and the way you invite us to play. It is easy to celebrate you! Happy birthday, son. You are so loved. May you continue to grow in your love for God as you journey through this next year!
Up early before the sun, with everyone rushing you to wake.  You are at the happy stage where you sort of understand birthdays after celebrating all of your siblings birthdays in the last few months, and yet you are easy and happy-go-lucky without any expectations.  Except that you definitely wanted us to sing happy birthday to you. 🙂  You were practicing for days ahead of time.
Everyone else couldn’t wait for you to open your gifts so they could play with them see what they were.  It is a joy to watch you so carefully open each thing and enjoy it for a few minutes without rushing onto the next gift.
We gave you a Poppy and the Orchestra book since you have loved Philippa’s Poppy/musical book so much. Â You were delighted! Â Bunny also wanted to give you a gift that had a bit of an ulterior motive: she bought you a basket for your bike so that you can carry her along on all of your adventures. Â Boy, have you both loved this new addition to your favorite toy.
Mommy + Daddy gifted you a kitchen all your own with a few new food items, pots and pans, and a lovely little enamel pot that matches your older sister’s tin tea set.  I think you really love this, but your older siblings definitely do.  Thank you for sharing it so kindly with them.  Mommy knit you a happy yellow sweater, but it is much too big and so we will tuck it away until you are three.  I’m so glad though that when you opened it you put it right on.  Sweet girl.  Now mommy has to get busy making you something that WILL fit. 🙂  Also, you got a sweet birthday dress which you really love and looks so, so sweet on you.
After all the morning fun, we carried on with a regular old school day for the older kids (which they were quite disgruntled about) but we had a surprise visitor mid-morning, your BFF Liam (and Rainey).
He brought you a sweet gift and stayed for a little bit to play and have a birthday lunch together. Â So sweet. Â Bunny was very tired at this point and had to have a nap, so you went with her. Â After nap, the sun came out (it had been a very rainy morning) and bunny couldn’t wait to try out her new bike basket. Â What fun! Â It was just right. Â Meanwhile, Mommy baked a carrot cake, the same one I made for your first birthday and I had fun making it simple and pretty. Â We Facetimed with far-away family. Â Then Rainey + Grandpa came over for one of your favorite dinners, spaghetti. Â You were so happy to see your birthday cake and have everyone sing to you, and you clapped with glee when it was all done.
We all adore you, sweet baby Wren. Â Maybe not so much a baby anymore, but still you will always be our little baby. Â I am so proud of the way you are growing and learning. Â You are a delight to us all, my sweet girl. Â Happy birthday and always remember how much your momma and daddy adore you, how God adores you even more than that.
Brandon’s birthday fell on a Monday this year, so we planned for him to do some fun things over the weekend to celebrate. Â He did a long trail run in nearby Dupont Forest for most of the day on Saturday. Â Sunday he took Noah fishing on a nearby river for the day. Â I was happy for him to get out and have lots of time doing the things he loves outside. Â Monday we had a very full and busy day planned but I woke up that morning to a spinning world. Â Every once in a while I have vertigo and it hasn’t happened in a couple of years but it hit me that Monday. Â I was so bummed because not only did we have a full day of homeschool co-op and piano lessons, but it was also Brandon’s birthday. Â My mom came to help for the day as I couldn’t get out of bed/sit up without everything spinning. Â I didn’t think to take dramamine until a little later, and it did seem to help (though my mom picked up a “natural” kind which was just straight ginger root). Â Thank goodness for moms, right?! Â Anyway, in the early afternoon I managed to pull myself out of bed to try to make Brandon’s cheesecake as I knew it would have to sit for a few hours before serving. Â As I began to move around the vertigo slowly lifted. Â Usually it lasts for a few hours for me so this was a longer day of it, but I was just grateful it lifted. Â It’s amazing what a blessing normal functioning is!
The children were so happy to see me up and able to move around and Phoebe helped to make daddy’s birthday cake. Â He loves cherry pie but my kids don’t really like pie and Brandon isn’t really picky, so we made a cheesecake instead with my own cherry topping. Â For the topping I basically used a bag of frozen cherries, juice from half a lemon, about a 1/2 c. of honey, 1 c. water, and a couple teaspoons of arrowroot powder as a thickener. Â It was really delicious, even Phoebe liked it and she is my pickiest.
Philippa asked to decorate the table for daddy’s birthday which was very helpful as I felt still so brain-foggy.  She did a lovely job.  Brandon was truly surprised to see his hand knit sweater and I think it fits just right (though when I gave it to him I hadn’t had time to block it yet).  The “children” gave him a jigsaw which he was very happy with.  I have in mind an item or two he could make for me now that he has it. 🙂  Noah gave him a little notebook/journal he had kept with notes and drawings in it while they had been out fishing.  Phoebe gave him a little woven item.  All in all, I think he was quite spoiled this birthday which we well-deserves.
We had a little bit more snow this past weekend and so enjoyed it. Â I’m grateful for any wintry weather! Â I convinced Brandon to let me get a couple pictures of him in the sweater, which did take some convincing since he doesn’t love being in front of the camera. Â (He’s also wearing a hat I knit for him awhile ago.)
everything He gives 