The Prettiest of Blooms

This is another promised "Bloom of Summer"...

My sweet, dear friend, Janelle, sent me a beautiful Mother's Day package in May. It had amazing goodies wrapped with such care (including my favorite pajamas), but what I cherish most is the hand written letter. Her letters are the kind that I make a cup of coffee for, find a cozy place and then sit down and get lost in their beauty.

This particular letter remains close to me at all times. She wrote many beautiful words, but I found myself treasuring, and smiling at, these, "Ashley finds inspiration and beauty in your relationship, she has also found a friend for life. How cool is that? To birth your own friend?"

Yeah! That is cool...to birth my own friend. I have never thought of it that way. Oh, but what a sweet friend she is...my "Prettiest of Blooms".

It is hard to believe that 10 years ago this past June, our little flower came a bit too early. (As life has gone on, we see that it was only that she did not want to miss any of the action!) She was born at 34 weeks and was a tiny little peanut. I got a brief glimpse of her before she was whisked off to NICU. It was days before we were able to hold her. I remember when they said I could hold her. I felt that I had just been crowned Miss America and they were placing the roses in my arms. It was a glorious moment for me...wires and all!

The years have passed, albeit too quickly, and I find many of my adventures are shared with her. She is 10 and can hold a conversation with anyone. She is the most compassionate person I know. She loves children. She is a helper and a friend to many. She is a great traveler. Her giggle is genuine, and when you realize that, you can't help but join in. She loves God and she loves others.

Birthdays are always a fun, BIG deal for us. Life is SO precious, and we do not take it for granted. We have done Hello Kitty, The Incredibles, American Girl...my favorite, so far, was the Willie Wonka party! The invites were Golden Tickets. We painted huge lollies and stuck them in the front yard. There was candy EVERYWHERE. Kids had to come as their favorite character from the movie. One boy went home saying, "I never thought that I would say this but, I think I ate too much candy!" He was holding his tummy...

As Ashley gets older, she really wants to plan the party. (For a mom who loves to do surprises, it is a bit of a bummer.) This year we got creative together. It was HSM (High School Musical) beach party. We spent the day at the water park and then off to pizza. I made her a t-shirt that says, "Single Digits are SO last year!" What a great day with friends.

I am grateful for the flowers in my garden, my blooms of summer. I am grateful to the Lord for the daughter He has given me. Sometimes, I have been sad for the kids I didn't have, when really, God has given me the greatest gift. I celebrate, and am grateful for, this precious daughter, my life long friend!