Our Birthday Girl

Her true birthday!

1st Birthday

2nd Birthday

3rd Birthday

 

Maybe its good I waited a little while to write.  I attempted to start this the night of her actual birthday, but I was just too tired and overwhelmed to get words on the screen.  I tried again yesterday, but I just couldn't find my happy place. So I quit trying to force things and I went to count pj's.  PJ's you may ask...why yes!  In honor of Ellie's 3rd birthday I wanted to do something in her honor.  I wanted to help out someone else, and I wanted it to be something Ellie would approve of!  So I contacted our Jesus loving, Doc McStuffins singing nurse from the PICU about the mission she volunteers with.  They run a shelter, and one of her ideas was pj's and stuffed animals. It was perfect!  Ellie thought princess nightgowns were amazing, and honestly there was nothing sweeter then seeing her twirl in one!  And she adored stuffed animals...although at times she refused to sleep with them because they wouldn't close their eyes! She was a nut!  So the Jammie Jam was created!

 

 

PJ's began to show up in the mail and on the porches of my collection helpers.  Ellie's reach continued on.  At a family gathering this past weekend, we decorated bandanas to put on the stuffed animals, they ended up looking like super hero capes, which I think is completely appropriate! 

 

 

Each bandana had the scripture "Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work. Jer 1:5" My new favorite verse!  I cannot wait for the children and families who visit this shelter to feel the love that went into these!  For them to know that no matter what they are going through, God has already planned it all out, and thought it may seem hard at the moment, He is in control.  At last count there were 320 stuffed animals and 516 pairs of pj's.  Amazing!  Sorting the pj's was hard...so many of them made me think of her, so much makes me think of her, but girly princess pj's really send me down memory lane. 

Since we couldn't do Rapunzel lanterns for her birthday, we found lighted pink balloons. They were perfect, and looked beautiful in the night sky...they were fit for a princess!

 

Yes, we are in our PJ's...it was a pajama party after all!

 

While all this was fun and felt so good to be helping someone else....it doesn't make any of it easier.  The days get harder, and I have to continually ask God to give me strength, even if its just for the next few moments.  Sometimes I only have to ask once a day, sometimes multiple times a day.  Sometimes its for myself, sometimes for Richard.  And the nice part is, God always delivers.  Sometimes I forget to thank him afterwards, but so thankful He doesn't hold it against me.

 

As I look back at her birthdays, I'm reminded of two things....it always snows near her birthday and there are always people around who love her, even when she can't be at the party.  It was so very hard not spending her day physically with her.  I love making fun parties for my kids, I love cute decorations and yummy food.  I love having all my family and friends around who love us.  This was a new version of a birthday party, cute décor, yummy food, but the presents weren't for the birthday girl, they were in her honor.  I don't know if she could see her party, I don't know if she could feel it, but I hope she knows it was a house full of love and a few tears, but all for her.

 

 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. Ecclesiastes 3:1-4

Prayers, Praise and Pink

~Carly