Celebrating Every Age and Every Stage

When our first daughter (DW) started kindergarten, I remember other mothers asking if I was sad that she was that old...it never really occurred to me to be sad...I was SO excited for her. I remember loving school and loving friends and loving my kindergarten teacher. I just figured she would feel the same way and she did.

I determined right then and there to celebrate each milestone in our childrens' lives. It was a good thing that life was progressing and my children were growing up. I wanted them to grow up. I wanted to be there to watch them and to help them navigate each new phase of their lives. I wanted to encourage our daughters to stretch and grow to become what God determined they would be. Pop and I gave them permission (just as my parents had given us) to be better than we were...better children, better young people, better spouses, and better parents. We realized that what was good enough for us could be improved upon and they have made us proud.

As each of the four sisters grew up and married, we have celebrated time and time again. Sometimes the celebrations have involved parties and other times the changes came about quietly and found me celebrating in a quiet place while shedding a few tears and telling God how grateful I am for His hand and help in raising our family.

Once again, we are celebrating another time of change with Farm Chick (at heart) and EJ and the cowboys having moved on from our multi-generational family home on to their own home (with a great big "growing table") and it seems like the perfect time to celebrate for them and with them.

We are grateful that EJ isn't overly traumatized by living above his in-laws for two years and grateful to have had the privilege of living so close to their family. We are also grateful that Farm Chick married a man who wants to lead his family and partner with her in this adventure we call life. We're glad they will be regular visitors, along with all the sisters and their families, to Four Sisters Farm and we look forward in eager anticipation to family gatherings, sleepovers, campouts, and whatever else Pop and I can dream up for some fun.

Pop and I will "hold down the fort" and continue to live the dream here at Four Sisters Farm. We will continue to blog here and hope that Farm Chick and the other three sisters will contribute often.

Live goes on. Good stuff.

(above picture: Four Sisters 1989)