Three & One in One (Party, that is...)

I have recently had my aversion to planning elaborate birthday parties diagnosed and the outlook does not look good. There is little treatment that can be done as I am being noncompliant toward any attempt aimed at improving birthday-party-inspired-creativity. I feel I have come to terms with the demise of this vital area of mothering and am instead going to continue to embrace the rather bare-bones approach of candles/sweets/food/friends... and maybe a stop at the Dollar Tree for some light decor if I feel up to it... this may or may not make it into the yearly prep. My sister, on the other hand, is the most amazing Birthday Party Planner- even down to those small details which seamlessly knit everything together. She has ideas for years to come. I start to get an idea and have to quickly throw it out before it grows into anything dangerous. Like a Theme. Don't misunderstand me, I LOVE attending birthday parties with a Theme. I adore every little detail as I stand in awe at the creativity these incredible women bless others with. But I have come to recognize my limits (at least I'm starting to... in this glaringly obvious area of childhood birthday neglect). I'm too afraid of pouring time and energy into something that I don't really care about- and something I'm convinced my kids don't care about either. Sometimes I wish I cared more about it. But I really don't. I just want to celebrate the two best gifts God has given to us with the ones I love the most. To me it's just that simple. It's the details that get in the way of that simplicity. And I'm afraid that if I focus on the details I'm going to miss all the truly "good" stuff. I think I'm alarmingly close to seeing beauty in the simplicity of effort and focus on the things- and ones- who matter most to me. Please still invite me to your magnificent parties. This humble one needs to drink in the beauty of your creativity. It might even get me to head over to Dollar Tree again next year.

Selah gave "Moosie" a big squeeze (Eileigh named him)

Matching sister shirts from Aunt Mindi

Eileigh loved her new dollie dress- handmade by Great-Grandma T.

All four of the cousins on the T. side (these are the afore-mentioned lucky recipients of fabulous birthday parties)

Birthday girl- Big One

Birthday girl- Big Three (and being silly)

Eileigh knows what's coming... Selah's not so sure...

"What?"