Magical Date

Ever since I had a baby (my very first!) on March 30th, it has seemed like a magical date to me. I remember when Sheryl, my neighbor, had a baby on that date and how excited I was for her (Happy Birthday, Austin). Soon another cute girl moved into our neighborhood who is exactly one year younger than Kelsey (Happy Birthday, Erica). And last night, at about 11:20, my cute neighbor, Leeann, called to tell us that they were on their way to the hospital. Her baby was coming NOW! We sent Ashley over to sleep with Leeann's other children and Steve and I discussed whether or not the baby would come before midnight, thus sharing this magical date. This morning I learned that Leeann's new baby came into this world about 11:40 p.m. Happy Birthday, baby Brinton! Welcome to a special birthday club!

Happy 21st, Kelsey!

This is what Kelsey got for her birthday:

The Perfect Dress called to tell her that her dress was in, so Bam, Madi, and I met Kelsey and we sat in awe as she modeled this gorgeous creation of Bordeaux Taffeta. We sent this picture to Covey via my phone and he sent back this reply:

"That's got to be the most beautiful birthday girl I've ever seen!"

"Awwwwww"

Smile! You're on Candid Camera!

Driving home today from a very nice "birthday" lunch with Bam and the sisters, I cut through the Slim Olsen Parking lot and out of the corner of my eye I saw something green drifting along the blacktop:

That's right, a crisp, clean one dollar bill. I drove past it and then said to myself, "Heck no, I'm turning back for it!" and I did just that. I turned my car around and eased up next to the dollar lying quite still on the ground in the middle of a huge parking lot. My intention was to open my car door and quickly scoop it up, only right as I bent down to grab it a playful breeze picked it up and scooted it away from me. I got out of the car and walked toward where it was again lying peacefully on the ground, but as I took a step towards the dollar, a breeze once again began to toy with it (and me, it would seem). "I know where this is going," I said to myself. I got back into the car and began to drive away, not wanting to make a fool of myself by running helter skelter across the parking lot for a one dollar bill. Again, as I slowly drove forward I saw the dollar once again resting on the blacktop, pretty as you please. This time I did scoop it up...triumph! As I got back into my car I couldn't help but think that this was going to end up on some undercover t.v. show with an audience shouting out,

"Smile! You're on Candid Camera!"

Not five minutes later, Markelle was on the phone, asking if she could have $7 for a play ticket. Ahhh, easy come, easy go!

Hide and Seek

When she was little, a favorite "game" she would play when we went to the store was "hide and seek." Only, she failed to tell me that this was a game. And she failed to answer when I would call out to her. I would usually find her very quickly in the middle of the clothing rounders. Except one time I took her to ZCMI at the big mall. It was Christmas time and there were beautiful displays of Christmas trees decorating the store. I was pushing another small child in the stroller, while she held my hand and walked next to me. A moment's distraction gave her the perfect opportunity to "slip" away and play her game. Only this time, after calling her name repeatedly and looking in the normal places, I couldn't see her. Other adults joined in the search and panic begin to well inside of me as I considered all the horrible scenarios of where she could be. With shaking hands and a prayer continually leaving my heart, I dialed her daddy's work number and began to cry when he answered the phone: "I can't find her!" The store security arrived to take a statement and a store clerk valiantly tried to calm me. A "child missing" alert went out over the PA system, as a store full of kindly strangers began looking for my precious child. She was quickly found and restored back to me. I thanked this army of fellow mother's and daddy's who dismissed their needs for a few minutes to help me find my child. My gratitude was immense and I hugged my child and told her how scared I was and how much I loved her.

She is grown up now, but she hasn't stopped this unnerving habit of "hide and seek." I never stop looking for her. I never stop hugging her and telling her how much I love her. It never ceases to amaze me how many kind mommy's and daddy's will stop what they are doing to help me "look" for her. I find myself, over and over, calling her daddy up and and crying: "I can't find her!" Only, it is no longer her daddy that I am calling...it is her BIG DADDY...the Daddy of us all.

"Sniff" My Baby's Gone and Grown Up on Me!

Check out her grown up girl blog at: www.kelseyandcoveycole.blogspot.com! Welcome to the club, Baby Girl!