Coincidence?

And there you have it.  A few weeks ago, I was going through a memory box, and found an envelope full of safely kept invitations that had yet to find a home in a scrapbook.  Now I have looked at this invitation many, many times, and somehow just this last time did the significance of the date hit me.  Who knew that 5 years later, just a few hours later on the same date, and just a few miles away, that we would be showered with this gift?

It might not seem unusual to some, but given our lifestyle, the odds of me giving birth in the area were slim at best .  I was not from the area and by the time Kelsey came along, we were living in Venezuela, having moved there from Virginia.  I just happened to medevac to the area and wasn't even due until early April.  Sadly, I had to deliver early as I had a sudden return of the ICP* that plagued me when I was pregnant with C.  So, all things considered, an interesting turn of events.  Now, back to the birthday girl.

She's still as she was on the day she was born: feisty, funny, and faithful, especially to her friends.  She can be cranky, but resilient and brutally honest.  She reads like it is an Olympic sport, and writes notes in teeny-tiny lopsided writing  that I will keep forever, no matter how old or yellow and wrinkled the paper becomes.  She swears she can read minds, and she might be right.  She has a habit of saying what you need to hear, when you need to hear it.  And when she hits bottom, she asks for a hug, which makes everything right again in her world…and mine.

Happy, happy birthday, sweet Kelsey!

From just a baby…

to a preschooler/leikskola student

 

And now presenting, the newest 8 year old in the family (yes, we know, not for long…)

The 8 year-old who requested brownies (from scratch, oh ye of little faith), apple crisp and ice cream instead of a cake.  She naturally assisted with all preparations for dinner and dessert, even reminding me when I forgot to "smash" (tenderize) the chicken.  The brownies didn't even need icing, just leftover candles from a previous birthday.  The result?  A pretty darn happy little girl.

*Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy…nasty, nasty stuff that can result in…wait, this is a happy post.  Trust me, you don't want it!