Celebrate

One year home seems so significant right now. So many firsts, so many lasts. The kids have grown and changed and so have we. There are no babies in our family now; just little kids hungry to learn. They are always exploring, nearly fearless and genuinely enthusiastic. The country in which we spent seven days one year ago is, like us, not the same. The family in which our children spent their beginning is not the same. We have heard nothing from or about them, but wait with eager anticipation for news.

I am by nature sentimental, traditional, and resistant to change. But I too am not the same. I look to the future as the great adventure my kids seem to embrace. I know that for everything there is a time and a season. Each season will have smooth sailing and bumps in the road. There will be joys and triumphs as well as times when we need more help than we know how to find. We will be encouragers and need encouragement. If there is one thing I have learned in this past year, it is that change is good. We were not designed to stay the same. We were made to grow. Just as our children have become more like us(for better or worse), I must become more like my Father; embracing His values and doing things His way.

So how does a family celebrate? In our family, our only son has a birthday just 4 days after our home coming. This year he turns 5. We only have Birthday parties for 5, not 3, not 4, not 6, not 7. Only 5. So, on a hot evening we gathered in the back yard with a few friend, close family, 50 hot dogs, a huge watermelon and lots of fun. We played, sang Happy Birthday, ate cake and ice cream, then called it a night when the rain started. I can't think of a better way to celebrate family than with a birthday party for the newest five year old. It was a blast (at least for the five year old and his mommy).