Camille's Birthday

April 19, 2010 has been a wonderful day. A day of births and insights, good feelings and kindness. Jon took this picture of Noble this morning. It is the first time Noble has ever climbed in to the cup drawer. He usually just likes to take the cups all out and toss them all over the floor. 

I was still sorting through all my emotions this morning. We had our oatmeal and got the kids off to school. But it was not as sweet a feeling as it was last year. It is harder to find that sweetness when you have to hurry and get ready for school. Still the kids were being extra kind to each other in honor of Camille's birthday.

After dropping the kids to school and putting Noble down for a nap, I went on a long walk with some friends. I did my first act of kindness in helping my friend push her two boys in the double stroller (a total of about 100 lbs.) up the steepest parts of the hills. 

Coming home Noble was already up from what turned out to be a VERY short nap. (That kid! He needs to like napping more.) So he kept me company for the morning. I heard from my family that Nikki and Darren had their babies and that they were all healthy for the most part. That was good to hear. 

I sat watching Noble bopping to his musical toy and smiling at me. And I just felt a wave of wholeness and happiness rush over me. He is a joy to me. I am so grateful to have him. Babies are a great joy and I am felt so happy in that moment to have my little niece and nephew born into the world.

I went to check my Google reader page and saw that my friend Rach had her little baby girl Ellie this morning too. Rach was the first mother I found on the internet who had also lost a child. Her daughter Hannah drowned the summer before Camille. I found strength in how positive she was and how she was coping with her grief. I have tried to model my path through grief after her example. So to see that she had her baby girl on Camille's birthday... well it just seemed like a full circle moment.

From then on the day has been great. I have had several friends do acts of kindness for me. I made a great cake for Camille's birthday. (Dang! I forgot to get a photo of it.) Well, here is what is left of it. I covered a yummy chocolate cake with chocolate ganache filling in homemade whip cream and topped with our family made of fruit. It was supposed to be all of us up in the clouds together.  :)

I went to get ice cream with Lauren and tipped the ice cream scooper with a HUGE tip that stopped her in her tracks. That was really fun! Wish I had a photo of her face when I handed it to her and told her it was her tip and to have a super day.

Then after dinner and before we ate the cake we went on a hike as a family. There is a crack in the mountain that we see as we drive down our street. I have been wanting to hike up to it since we moved here and I just never have. Today Sabrina, Annie, and I reached the summit of it. Jon, Noble, and Lauren waited a few hundred yards below for us. We got some great photos on our hike. There were lots of wild flowers blooming all over the mountains. 

After our hike we came home and cleaned up the dinner mess and decorated the birthday cake. Some friends came over to have cake and ice cream with us. It was a good time. Now I have read all my comments of Cami Kindness acts and that has just rounded out a wonderful day. Thank you all so much from spreading kindness today and sharing it with me. I love you all! Enjoy the photos of our hike!

Leaving our neighborhood

Sabrina by some of the wildflowers

The family taking in the site from the first summit

Annie -- Queen of the mountain!

Family Photo on top of the Mountain

Cute Lauren on top of the world.

The girls sitting in "the cavity of the rock"

Me looking up through a hole in the ceiling of a rock to see the girls above.

The girls headed down to our street. Jon, Noble and Lauren way small ahead of them.

The crack in the rock to which we climbed. We stood on the top of the right hand cliff.