Fifteen

 

And just like that she's fifteen! Every yaer seems to go by faster than the last! This trip around the sun was full of joy and laughter, tears and sorrow and so much growth! This fall proved to be one of her most challenging and difficult yet, but we have seen her emerg stronger and more confident because of it. Yesterday was truly a  day that was absolutely perfect for Miss Emma. She chose to forgo the crown I made her all those years ago ("it's getting a bit small, mama!") in favor of her favorite crown, which is far more grown up than the felt one I created when she was four. After we betowed our wishes on her for this next year, and the birthday crown was fully aglow, she opened her gifts and then went on a scavenger hunt for one final gift: a much wished for snowboard of her own! Thankfully Mother Nature bestowed the gift of snow upon Emma's birthday, which just made the day even more magical and lovely! That afternoon and into the night, the celebration continued with Mandy and Lucy joining us for make-overs, and movies, and pizza (since the ramen place was closed) followed by the most delicious chocolate raspberry cake for our chocolate raspberry loving girl. Grace and I had made it while Dave and Emma were out buying her bindings. All agreed it was delicious and was a recipe worth repeating! From start to finish, there could not have been a more perfect birthday for Emma Faith! Her next trip around the sun is sure to be full of joy and laughter, tears and sorrow and so much growth but we are here for it and cannot wait to see all that awaits her! 

Happpy Birthday, Emma! We love you to the moon and stars and back and are so proud to be your parents! We are with you every step of the way! xo 

On Emma's Birthday Eve

 

When I have said my evening prayer, 
And my clothes are folded on the chair, 

And mama has turned out the light, 
I'll still be fourteen years old tonight. 

But from the very break of day, 
Before the children rise and play, 
Before the sunlight has turned to gold, 

Tomorrow I'll be fifteen years old. 
Fifteen candles kissess when I wake! 
Fifteen candles on my cake! 

Can't wait to celebrate anotehr trip around the sun with our sweet Emma Faith! xo 

On Grace's Birthday

 

The most fabulous sixteenth birthday for this sweet soul! It's hard to believe that she's sixteen already, as it truly seems as if it was just yestrday that she arrived earthside! These sixteen years have flown quickly by but have been full of magic, wonder, sweetness and love! Thank you, Grace Elizabeth, for making our dreams of parenthood a reliaty. It has been a true joy to watch you grow into the amazing young woman that you are, and it's the honor of a lifetime to be your mama! xo 

Emma's Birthday Eve

 

When I have said my evening prayer, 
And my clothes are folded on the chair, 
And mama has turned out the light, 
I'll still be thirteen years old tonight. 

But from the very break of day, 
Before the children rise and play, 
Before the sunlight turns to gold, 
Tomorrow I'll be fourteen years old. 
Fourteen candles on my cake. 
Fourteen kisses when I wake! 

-Traditional Waldorf Birthday Verse 


Can't wait to celebrate fourteen years of Miss Emma Faith tomorrow! xo 

Happy Birthday, Grace Elizabeth!

Tomorrow I will be back with pictures of the wonderful day that was Grace's fourteenth birthday today but for tonight I shall leave you with this one that perfectly captures the magic of the day! From start to finish this day was so compltely Grace. It was full of all the things and people she loves best! Birthdays in our family are a really big deal. They aren't big in the sense that we have grand birthday parties but they are big in the sense that we spend the day celebrating the birthday person in all the ways they love best. And this year, even with a pandemic in full swing, was no exception! If truth be known, I think the pandemic somehow made this day even more magical. Everything about this day was so very Grace. From the cake she chose to the cards her friends sent (via mail!) to celebrating at home (in the backyard and on Zoom) to people stopping by with gifts and calling and texting and posting on Facebook and Instagram  and all the birthday wishes at dance (yes, she's wearing a leo in this picture has she had just gotten home from dance) truly made this day one of the best! Honestly, the only way this day could have been any more perfect would have been if we had made it to the farm to go blueberry picking (as is our tradition) but alas there was just so much goodness going on that we could not fit that one in too! Thank you to everyone who made this day so completely wonderful for her. It truly is one that she will never forget! xo

Twelve Candles

Emma's birthday began with a trip to Cafe 641 for breakfast (a banana Nutella crepe for her) where she received her first birthday gift. 

(And it was right about now that I realized that Emma was wearing the wrong jacket! )

Sleeping Queens (from Grace). The girls played a round while waiting for breakfast to arrive). 

Emma poses with the newest addition to the birthday ring! 

A perfect way to commemorate all the letters that she and her great-grandpa have written this year (plus he turns 100 in April)! 

Next gift. Something she really needed....

new goggles! \

They are pretty fabulous!

Emma loves Dolly Parton. It's her dream to go to Dollywood one day! 

And her final birthday gift: 

Hedwig! 

Traditional pre-birthday ring picture. 

Lighting the final candle. 

Officially twelve. 

After her story was read and the candles were lit the three of us took turns bestowing wishes upon her for the coming year. 

Twelve cupcakes on her twelfth birthday! 

A sweet message from one of her most favorite people in the whole wide world! 

Last night, as Emma was heading up to bed she gave me a kiss and said "thank you for making my birthday so special! I had a wonderful day!"  It was a quiet day full of all that Emma loves best (her family, yummy food, some much wished for gifts, cards/messages/texts and phone calls from friends and family). Thank you so much to everyone who helped to make Emma's birthday so very special! David and I truly cannot believe that our baby girl is twelve! One more year and we'll have TWO teenagers in the house! EEK! 

An excerpt from Emma's birthday ring story:

Twelve candles for our sweet girl. Twelve candles for twelve years of joy that she has brought our family. Twelve candles for her sweetness, her helpfulness, her kindness, her generosity, her humor, her intelligence, and her happiness! Happy birthday, Emma Faith! May this next trip around the sun be as full of magic and wonder and joy and laughter as you are! We love you to the moon and stars and back and we can't wait to see what this next year holds! xo