Dear Lilly ... Happy Belated Birthday

Lilly's Memorial Garden this month

Dearest Lilly,

Happy belated 8th birthday, my sweet girl!  Wow EIGHT!!!  I am so curious about you.  What are you like in heaven?  I can't wait to see you again one day.  I hope you will run to me and give me, what Solomon likes to call, "the biggest lion hug ever!"

By the way, your little brother is so looking forward to meeting you one day.  He loves looking at pictures of you and sometimes wishes he could be in some of them.

Let's see, this is your first birthday in 6 years that we did not have our traditional Lilly's Birthday aka July 4th Celebration.  But have no doubt, we all remembered you on your day.  Just as we do every day.

During your birthday week, Tabby and I were at a church camp in Virginia.  It was the first camp that either of us have ever been too.  Though I missed getting to come to your grave, I did share your picture with several people at camp and told them about your birthday.  They were very kind.  Tabby told some of the campers about you too.

The boys and your Dad were planning to carry on your celebration by attending the parade and fireworks however something else happened.  Hunter came down with the chicken pox!  He had a fever and was all spotty and itchy.  There was no way he felt like going out anywhere.  But the boys and Dad did set off some fireworks at home.  Did you see them?

About two weeks later Hunter was all better but then ... Solomon came down with the chicken pox!  So we put off going to the store to buy balloons for you once again.  However, Solomon did argue that even boys with chicken pox were still able to eat birthday cake!  So your siblings all voted on cupcakes for this year.  We imagined red-white-blue ones.  But when I went to the store, I realized oops!  With July 4th passed, there were no longer "Lilly colored" desserts out.  I know I could have made something at home, but there was too much going on.  So I bought these cupcakes and they were very yummy!

For your birthday present this year, I bought you a set of red/white/blue bottle brush trees.  I have a bit of an obsession with them.

bottle brush trees made by @oldvintagebits (Instagram)

I never did share a picture of your last year's Christmas present on your blog, so I will do that now.  I just love the work of Polish artist Amelia.  (Etsy shop: inameliart )  I have bought several prints from her over the past year.  Last year she had 2 that made me think of you!  One is a little girl that wears red-white-blue!  Amelia told me her husband said that she had painted an "American girl."  (They live in Poland.)  She sure did!  She painted my Lilly girl.  I told Amelia about you and your story touched her deeply.  She is such a sweet and talented artist.  The other print I bought is an angel girl holding a bunny.  So I feel I have my 4th of July Lilly girl and my angel Lilly girl.  They are so special to me!  

Last week we bought your birthday balloons at the dollar store.  But every time we thought about sending them up to you, someone wasn't feeling good, or it was raining, or something was wrong with the timing.  But finally!  This morning, in between rain showers, we hurried outside to let your balloons go.  This is the first time we did this at home, instead of at your grave.  But that's OK.  You know we love you anywhere we are.  At first we were going to release them by Solomon's big pumpkin patch.  But it got windy all the sudden.  So we went out by the road and let the balloons go over the cow pasture across the street.  They all went up up up!  No tangling in trees.  

I watched them until they disappeared.  I thought about you and how much your short life of 17 months blessed me and stretched me beyond what I thought I was capable of.  What a gift from God you were and I thanked Him all over again for you.

Lilly's 1st birthday

We all love you, Lilly-girl, forever and ever!!

XOXOXOXO 😘💗
Mama