Then we celebrate an adoption...
And a sealing...
Then we're done.
Except for a wedding.
No, two weddings...
And back-to-school.
Tim laughed out loud when I was talking to my sister on the phone today and told her "Things aren't so busy after the adoption... No, after the wedding... Well, maybe after the kids are back in school?"
But back to Joie, a.k.a. Diana Jo DJ Joie Jo Weaver Jarman...
Who will wake up to this on our front door in the morning:
Door decorated by church youth group...
Welcome to the Hive! (The "Beehives", that is...)
Yes, she will definitely be surprised.
Yes, it's true. Joie is turning twelve! Can you believe it? (Apparently, I can't.)
And kidding about birthday exhaustion aside, we love to celebrate the life of this intelligent, funny, thoughtful, dramatic, and beautiful girl.
Notice something different about her? (Hint: It's in the eyes.)
She got contacts! Without her glasses her eyes remind me a lot of when she was younger...
Those big, beautiful, blue eyes.
They're her dad's eyes. She's definitely his girl. It's going to take me a few days to get used to looking at her and seeing just her, and not thinking about how much her mom loved those eyes, or how those eyes looked when she first came to live with us, and she would look up at me with those huge blue eyes (that are now almost my height), pleading without words for me to make it all go away. (It's crazy what can unexpectedly take you back...)
Those same eyes are brighter now. The life has returned to her face, and her eyes sparkle. Today we were talking about her beautiful eyes, and as we talked I realized how we've had four years with her now... Four years that could have so easily been taken from all of us on that day her family died. Four years of memories. Four years of sharing all the little daily things. Four years of healing. Four years of wondering how...
And why...
Then returning to the now because we can't change the how or the why.
And in the now Joie is turning twelve! And thinking about that miracle gives us something huge to celebrate.
5 comments:
It has taken me four years to look at her and not cry because they are indeed so her daddy's eyes. I was talking to Mike last night about the accident. Mary, thank you for er posting this. So often I forget to remember what we have to celebrate instead of what we have to mourn.
wow, what a a story. Blessings to you and to Joie. Following you now from NanaHood.com
Happy Happy! Hope you have a wonderful day! Love you
Aww, so much love comes through in your post. Happy birthday to the much-loved birthday girl!
Beautiful thoughts ... happy bday to your punkin'!
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