Five

I love that Eliana’s birthday is only four days after mine because I get to combine them into one party and step out of the limelight. Although today is technically my birthday (30! Wee!) we had a party for Elle and invited her closest (and my closest) friends over for dinner and cake.

It was lovely. And although she’s four for four more days… She already looks older. Acts older. Plays older. And I love it.

I hear moms sometimes say things like they want their kid to stop growing. They joke, can’t you just stay like this forever? And I don’t get it. Yeah, the kid is cute, but how amazing is it to see them grow?

Eliana read her birthday cards out loud. By herself. And she’s going to be five in four days.

I love this growing up stuff!

A Birthday Girl With Her Balloon

Birthday Thoughts

I’ve had some pretty poorly executed birthdays in my past. October is a busy month for people, so parties are generally difficult to plan. The older people get, the more awkward it seems to celebrate a day you were born.

Why does it need to be so difficult? This year, it came easy. The day was full with responsibilities: managing my class at the school ceremony, feeling nervous for the MCs, whom I helped write their speeches, and preparing my new debate team, building their confidence and challenging them just enough for our big competition tomorrow, supporting my husband who left for Jakarta this afternoon for a second interview at a position he is such a good match, and being home, right now, with my sweet sweet daughter, who wrote me a card (I’m loving her handwriting) thanking me. Thanking me!

I am desperately missing my family back home. (Especially when I get a picture like the one below from my little sister Nicole.) But it feels so good to know how much they love and support me in this crazy adventure.

I feel good in reflecting on where I’m at in life. To feel so happy with what I have done and what I can do at 29 is a wonderful thing.