a faith observed: Gracie's second birthday.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Gracie's second birthday.

We were on holidays at Sunrise over Gracie's 2nd birthday, so we opted for a family party. Bob and Steph try to make it to all of their grandchildren's birthday so they drove up for the day. The funny part was that we kept getting confused that Gracie's birthday landed on a Saturday instead of a Friday and kept getting the days mixed up because of that.

Gracie wanted a train birthday cake with Diego driving the train but we left the women's weekly recipe book with the train in it at home, so instead, after a bit of searching at Woolworths I landed upon one of those edible cake patterns- of Diego riding a skateboard. Perfect.

Gracie woke up bright and early - I think at her usual 5 am- and was so cute and excited when we told her it was her birthday. For a while when asked how old she'll be Gracie says, "2!". She was excited about her blueberry muffins with cupcake candles on top, but we couldn't find a lighter or matches so didn't get to light them. Gracie opened up her Diego flashcards (one for Grace and one for Simon) from mom and dad and a little Diego and Dora on a pirate ship too- I looked everywhere for Diego and he seems to have gone out of fashion. But then just got lucky a few days before her birthday to find all this Diego merchandise at Woolies.

We then went to the beach which Gracie loved because she's crazy about the beach, the ocean and playing in the sand. We came home by 10 am to keep out of the sun and because Bob and Steph were soon to arrive.

With G-ma and G-pa came some more presents to open as well as the cake for morning tea. Gracie loved opening her cards. And her "Princess Dora" from Grandma Steph. My mom gave her some big Dora crayons, a colouring book, cute lion pencil case and some hair clips which she liked for a whole day! (She hates things in her hair which really needs to be cut - but I don't want her to lose her curls!). She also loved the book "Dewey" that Steph chose- another birthday tradition.

And the cake- with candles this time was wonderful! For days she talked about her Diego cake. Simon also loved the cake and loved all things birthday, especially Gracie's presents! They both loved blowing the party blowers at each other and wearing their birthday hats.

It was a nice, quiet, special birthday for a two year old. Doubly special to have all of her living grandparents there with her. How wonderful my mom planned her visit to coincide with Gracie's special day.

Wishing you a wonderful second - or actually third- year Gracie! We love you!

No comments:

Post a Comment

This is me, a faith observed.

C.S. Lewis writes about the pain of losing his beloved wife, Joy, in his book, "A Grief Observed". In some ways this is my attempt to share my journey through grief and back into life, as the past nine months have been characterized by an immeasurable longing for my beloved father, who died suddenly this past January.

After months of hibernation from the internet, I unexpectedly find myself able to re-begin this blog and connect with my larger community of family and friends. This blog will likely reflect less of the intensity and depth of my pain and more of the simplicity and ordinary joy that keeps my life full - namely days running after our little boy, Simon Pierre. But it is because of the incredible love and presence that defined my relationship with my father, that I feel I can will myself to not just survive each day but to pour that same kind of love and attention onto Simon.

My father was an endless source of strength to me, a pillar of faith. His last words, spoken to my mother as he passed into that which is unseen, "God is good - good all the time", have remained with me through this dark cloud of grief. And when God seems hidden, when justice seems to be losing out, when life is unfair, and when death swallows up the one I most love, I remember my father's words and breathe in this promise, that the God of love is in the process of restoring that which has been destroyed.

And as my father told me in dream I've had since his death, "Look to Jesus. As a father, to point you towards Him is the best gift I can give to you." So here I am, this is me, a faith to be observed.

I hold onto that which is not always seen- the promise of God's goodness, the hope that one day in the promised new heavens and earth- on a grassy hill or a sand covered beach- the lion and the lamb will lie down side by side and I, too, will lie down side by side, next to my father, and we will laugh and laugh until there are no more tears left to cry.