Carter started asking me about the details of Christianity a few years ago.
A little over a year ago he began asking me what exactly it meant to be a Christian.
He decided that yes, he did want to make a commitment to God that he would try to live a Christ-like life.
But he wasn’t quite ready to make that commitment in front of other people.

He and Lydia share a room and she listened intently to what we were saying.
She’s a quiet thinker, but I could see the wheels turning.
A few months later, she started asking questions as well.
Some really hard questions.
(I told you she was a thinker.)

Then this summer Lydia went to a summer music camp at another local church.
She loved the music and we listened to it on repeat for months.
(It’s still in rotation, but we don’t listen to it every day.)
What I really loved about this musical is that almost every song is straight from scripture.
My children have all (even the baby) learned a handful of verses through music.
What better way to learn about God than through music?

Soon after camp was over, the questions began again; this time about baptism.
A few weeks later, two of their friends joined our church.
The week after that another friend (the sister of the first two) joined.
And their enthusiasm was contagious.
Now that they’d seen the others go before the church, it wasn’t quite as scary any more.
Carter joined one week.
Lydia the next.

This past Sunday, they were all baptized.

I am proud of them.
I am excited for them.
I am inspired by them.

Last Sunday, Carter made a list for the week.
The week was abnormally full of very fun things and he wanted “to remember it forever.”

On Sunday evening Marshall and I had a meeting.
My mom usually helps us when that happens, but she and my dad were on a mission trip.
So a dear friend, Claudette (or cadet, as you see above), kept all 4 of our hooligans.

On Monday, we had special visitors!

Marshall’s brother and his new wife came to visit with their two dogs and cat.
The new dog wasn’t getting along with the older dog and we were able to find her a new home!
(Social media FTW!)

Tuesday was our annual Bubble Bash and we all had so much fun!

When our friends arrived, everyone was happily dressed.
At some point Asa decided to ditch the swim suit and wear nothing but bubbles.

On Wednesday, our new (old) piano was delivered!

It is a gorgeous upright grand piano that belonged to Marshall’s grandmother.
The children are fascinated with it and I am so happy to have a piano in the house again!

Thursday was my birthday.
We had lunch together as a family and then the kids and I ventured to the local bookstore for books and cupcakes!
Later we had some friends over for dinner and they brought a cookie cake.
When my friend went to pick it up, she asked the bakery guy if he could write on it.
He told her that he wasn’t very good at it but he would try.

When the children saw it, Lydia read it aloud: “Happy bi-dey Bridget!”
(Oh, the jokes that came from that one!)

On Friday we dropped Alden off with Marshall’s parents and went to the Braves game.
  
Even in well-over-100° weather, we had the best time!
It was a late night, but so very, very worth it.
They liked the game, but the fireworks were the ‘funnest’ part.

Saturday was supposed to bring a trip to The Rock Ranch, but it was just too blasted hot.
So we stayed home and played Hot Wheels races and read books and hung out together.
It was a lazy-daisy perfect day.

Sunday was a perfect end to a wonderful week.
Lunch with friends.
Visiting with my parents and Marshall’s parents.
Sitting and watching a storm pass by.

I am so very grateful for these days, these moments.

One of my dearest friends is having a baby today!
TODAY!
And I’m a bit excited.
(Can you tell?)

Last night another friend and I reminisced about our own birth stories.
Funny how some things stay so vivid in your memory and others fade with time.

As we talked, I thought about all the things that I’d told my friend in preparation for this day.
And how no matter how many things you tell, there’s still stuff you leave out.
And you want to shout, “Oh, yeah and this…and that…and…”
But the moment has passed and then she’s in her own moment.
And one day she’ll be the one sharing her stories with another new mom-to-be
And as she talks, she’ll remember tiny bits that she’d forgotten all about
And then she’ll be the one saying, “Oh, yeah and this…and that…and…”
And she’ll want to warn her how much it’s going to hurt and how hard it all is, from labor into life and on.
And she’ll want to tell her that none of it will really matter in the end
– the birth plan that fell apart, the medicine that didn’t work,
the things that happened and weren’t supposed to
and the things that were supposed to happen and didn’t.
And when it’s all over she’ll wonder how she did it at all
And how time seemed to be standing still but now rushes by when it becomes a memory.
But she won’t understand.
Not until it’s there.
(And then it’s gone).

“Savor the moment,” I whisper to her, though she is hundreds of miles away.
And my throat catches and my heart flutters because it knows the love and joy that is about to be.

*****

I love you, sweet friend.  You will be a wonderful Mama.
And, just like with today, I’ve tried to prepare you for what’s to be in the coming days, weeks, months.
But you won’t really understand it until it’s here.
And I’m here when it hits you, when you feel lost and confused and sleepy.
I might not have an answer, but I listen well (and that’s often all you need).
I’m certainly cheering you on today, but I’m also cheering you on forever.

*****

It’s impossible to sit of the cuff of new motherhood without thinking of your own journey.
I even risked waking the baby to get my hands on their baby books.

Carter(2005):

Lydia(2006):

Asa(2008):

Alden(2011):

Can you guess which two were born before we used digital cameras?
(Can you also tell that I am lazy because I took a cell phone picture of a printed picture?)
(Also?  My hair when Lydia was born?  I obviously didn’t know Leslie then.)