A life filled with Autumn Leigh

Happy 1st Birthday to our Autumn!

Claire was quite excited for her sister this morning.  As soon as Autumn was downstairs with her, Claire took her to the couch and brought over one of her 1 year old birthday cards with a teddy bear on it.  Autumn looked at it with delight!  Claire said "I want to hold my one year old, I want to hold Autumn".  I teased "But I gave birth to her, so she's mine and I get to hold her".  Claire reminded me quickly, "She is not yours, Mommy, she is ours!".  Yes, she is ours.  All of ours- she belongs first to the heavenly Father and second to all those to whom she has brought joy.  Her sister, her friends, her grandparents, her neighbors, her church community, her elderly friends on the bus....She is well loved and, it would seem, extremely filled with love for others.  To all those who prayed over her in my belly, I believe the Lord is going to bless many lives through this little one according to your faith;)

So, the panda cake and cupcakes are all ready to go...pictures to come this evening I hope! After Claire and I finished the cake yesterday, Autumn saw it for a moment and smiled, almost as if she believed the panda on the cake was smiling at her.  Can't wait to see her dig in;)   Autumn is taking a nap, then will need a bath.  Teething and a cold are leading to dried snot all over the face and often.  Claire is more than excited for the party.  White, pink, blue, and purple balloons are bringing the living room to life already. 

At one year, Autumn is crawling with pace, moving around furniture, walking alone with her walker, pointing at things, reaching out to touch leaves and flowers, saying and waving buh bye and even night night, has a least ten teeth, is feeding herself with her hands and is mostly turning away baby food or anything that arrives in a baby food dish, learning to sign "more" and "hi" and "all done", splashing in the bath, despising diaper change time, sneaking into cupboards, climbing stairs alone, and starting to cry at men she is not familiar with.  She has been to America, the United Kingdom, and even Germany!  We are so proud of her and deeply thankful for all that she has added to our family.  So, as Claire would say, "Happy Birthday, Auty booty booty boo"!

Daffodils and Spring Lambs

Spring has pretty much arrived in St. Andrews.  Flowers everywhere!  There is an abundance of yellow daffodils, crocuses, snow drops, and tulips.  Most yards are well manicured and instead of fences, either hedges or flowers mark the boundary. As I marvel at all this beauty, I am reminded that life is more about being a flower, taking in the sun, and radiating beauty than about doing, striving, and rushing.  Im enjoying the open window with the Scottish wind flowing through our living room. 

I want to feel hopeful, peaceful, and joyful like the weather outside, but I feel the internal dissonance.The tree in the back is beginning to bud and my mind's eye brought forth an image of the first Eve reaching up to take its fruit.  What fruit have I been picking lately that makes my blessed world seem drab?  Fruits of fear, anxiety, bitterness and insecurity.  Another image replaces the first.  I see my young daughters.  They aren't reaching for the fruit on the forbidden tree.  They are simply enjoying its shade and obeying in delight and trust.  As sisters, they are picking the berries of joy, peace, celebration, sharing, friendship, and forgiveness.  "Be like a child", the self-expression of the Ancient of Days echoes in my soul.  I love that in raising my children I not only get to relive childhood in some ways, but also have ever-present markers of childlike faith.

This will be our first Spring in St. Andrews and it seems to be the peak season of the chilly year.  Autumn and I just returned from a visit to Koln, Germany where my very pregnant friend Lori is currently living.  Despite the challenges of baby in utero and baby in junky pram, we were able to see and explore the famous Dom cathedral, the chocolate museum (sponsered by Lindt or Lindor), walk along the Rhine River, the smaller city of Dusseldorf, many German bakeries and an infamous Brauhaus, and some lovely parks.  Keith and Claire had a week of "Daddy Disneyland" as I've heard it called taking it easy eating out, relaxing, and playing it up. 

Lastly, for your personal enjoyment, a few funny recent Claire stories. 
"Mom, what are crabs and sux?"  Surprise, embarrassment, and anger at society begin to clog my throat.  "What do you mean, honey? Where did you hear that?  What are they saying at school?".  "Not at school, Mom...that boy at church who also said 'Oh, crabs!' "  Phew! I realized she was referring to "Oh Crap" and "sux" turned out to be "sucks" but her Scottish accent had thrown me off. 

"Mom, this boy at school always says 'I'm six-y and I know it!'  What does that mean?"  Without thinking I said, you mean "sexy".  "No, I mean SIX-y!".  Catching myself before teaching her the word "sexy" for the second time, I said "Oh right, 6-y!  I'm not sure what he means, but that's not something we say or dance about...."  My innocent Primary 1 girl, Im afraid of what P2 might bring!

On our way to school after the occassional morning fight, very happily Claire says.  "Ya know, Mommy, when you were yelling at me, you reminded me of the Bad Mommy in the Rapunzel movie."  For those of you who haven't seen Tangled, she was referring to the bad kidnapper lady.  YIKES

At the dinner table I was asking Claire about a boy in her class whom Keith and I were suspicious she might have a slight crush on.  "So, Claire, why did you move to sit by Tom (we'll call him) at the restaurant the other day?"  "I don't know Mommy, he's my friend"   I continued "He's kind of a cutie pie, huh?".  Claire shrugged and made a half disgusted face.  I said, "I think he's kind of a cutie pie...".  She looks up at Keith, perhaps looking for a father's approval and asks in a full and remarkable Scottish accent, "Do you think so?".  Classic!