Birthday for an Angel

As the last hour of Camille's birthday slips into yesterday, I am reflective and unable to sleep with the jumble of thoughts in my head. Overall, I would say it has been a wonderful day. I feel I have a better idea now of how I want to spend this day every year. There were some special moments today that I want to make annual traditions. There were some parts that while nice this year, I don't feel I need to continue to do.

A few of the highlights for me were eating oatmeal with the girls this morning and singing Happy Birthday to Camille with them. Oatmeal was one of Camille's favorite foods. I really felt Camille with us this morning. I felt her happy and smiling and present. 

We all wore blue today and wore our Camille bracelets and necklaces. I loved that. We finished opening our "Easter eggs" that were meant to be done between Easter and Camille's birthday. I loved our activities. One of them was to draw pictures of what the day will be like when Jesus comes again. I loved our girls pictures. Annie's had all of us with Jesus and Dado was petting a tiger and a bear. She also had our butterfly that died flying around in the picture.

Maybe my favorite part was the part I feel Camille inspired. We spent the day doing good deeds. Tonight when I checked my blog I read of all the good deeds you have done and I felt so cheered. I really feel like that was what Camille most wanted for her birthday. I feel like she wanted us all to make the world a better place in whatever small way we can. I think she is happy to know that her short life has inspired so many to do a little something extra to make the world, or our families better. 

Thank you all for sharing. And if you haven't done anything yet, please know that it is never too late. I loved watching my girls come up with ways to serve and Jonathan and I came up with a way to contribute as well. But I have to say that hearing of all the good acts done by all of you was the highlight of this idea. Thank you so much.

Now I am off to read and hope my reading will take me to dreamland. 

Happy Birthday my Angel Girl!

Two years ago right now I was feeling much the same as I am feeling right now -- VERY PREGNANT.  I was at the hospital all hooked up to IVs and monitors starting the induction process. I was just a few hours away from my first sight of my sweet little Camille.

What a day of pain relief that was. The pregnancy had been by far my most painful, especially in those last 3 months. Even this one has not compared to it. And my epidural only worked on one half of my body so the labor was also one of my most painful. Her birth was a glorious healing event for me.

Yesterday was a very long day. We began early with the planting of our Camille tree. Our other tree was bent over beyond repair by a storm this week. So my dad brought a truck over and hooked the tree to it and pulled it out with my husband's help. 

He and my mother took me to the nursery to look for a replacement. We went to Davis Nursery which has been around as long as anyone here can remember. The owners have known my family for generations. My grandfather used to spend his lunch hours walking through the nursery enjoying the plants. 

The owners mother was there and she knew my grandfather. When she asked if I would be naming the baby I was having Morgan after my dad who was standing next to me I said "yes, his name will be Morgan Noble."

"Noble?" She said. "As in Noble Waite? The one who..." The next 15 minutes were filled with a complete history of Noble Waite and his complete family tree. She told me fun stories about his wit and humor. While I have never met the man, all her stories sounded very consistent with everything I have heard about him. 

I had brought a leaf of a tree in our neighborhood that I liked. As we were going to go look at them, she suggested I look also at a red oak. She showed me pictures of how beautifully they grow here and how colorful they get in the fall.

We looked at both kinds of tree. I chose the red oak for a couple of reasons. First we wanted a strong tree that could withstand the heavy winds that life will throw at it. Oak trees are some of the strongest on earth. Secondly, since this tree is in honor of Camille for her birthday, I thought I ought to get a really beautiful tree. And I think this is a beautiful tree.

Also, the fact that this tree will change colors in the seasons will remind us that this life is but a season of our existence and after the winter, spring will come again. It will grow tall and wide and shade our house from the heat of the summer. We will treasure its red, orange, and golden leaves in the fall. And in the spring it will remind us of the new life we are promised with our Camille when Christ comes again.

Here she is freshly planted outside the front window. That is the window to the blue room that I decorated about a year ago now inspired by my sweet little Camille's eye color.

More tomorrow or later tonight on how we have spent today celebrating the birth of our angel sister.