I thought I'd spend the week crying here but I've held up pretty good. My oldest girl turned 18 and I'm not sure how that happened so soon. She showed up after 2 miscarriages, 4 (not fun) appointments with the fertility specialist and 5 clomid pills (and 9 months!). We knew she would be Olivia which means "Bringer of Peace" and she brought peace to my sad heart the moment I saw her. Within the first week she started smiling at us....(6 days old in this picture with her young daddy)
She hasn't stopped. She's so ladylike and, for the life of me, I can't figure out where she learned it. She loves Jane Austen, classic literature, Victorian fashion, and she refuses to burp with the rest of us most of the time.
She's way more organized and detailed than me so she decided to plan and organize her own birthday party (and as the sole employee of Fabritopia she had the money to pay for it too!). I know I've shown my table before but it was covered so here it is with the new sunny paint job. This is actually the family room and we just move the couch back for parties and pull the table in.
Peety, my 16 year old (who's actual name is Pietra) designed and arranged this "heart chandelier" and I'm incredibly impressed (and leaving it up!). Just plain paper cut into hearts of various shapes (big ones on the outside and little ones hanging lower on the inside). Brilliant! What a way to spruce up a homely fixture.
I made her a chocolate mousse cake (a pound of butter and a pound of chocolate in this baby!) and she bought cookies and candy (she has always had a major sweet tooth which has made us crazy at times). Too too sweet (I mean it!).
We replaced a few broken doors at Christmas and decided to spray paint the kitchen door with chalkboard paint. We love it and it cost about 3.50 (for the paint).
So apparently it was a fun party (Joey and I left with the boys for part of it) and it was a joy to see her with her sisters and dear friends just enjoying being together, playing games, and eating (and maybe even burping a little).
We are blessed beyond measure.
