Lovin' Life!

Today is the day.... I am turning 45! Wow, five more years and it is half a century of living! But I don't mind getting older. In fact, I find I am lovin' life more and more as each day passes. I am happy, content, joyful - truly at peace with who I am as a person - a wife, mother, and daughter of the most high King!

Memory Makers is also celebrating a birthday today! So while I have the day off, determined to learn how to use my not so brand new KNK element die-cut machine, I am checking out the Memory Makers blog often for updates and more chances to win a prize.

The layout I shared above was created for this week's scripture challenge at FaithSisters on the word "listen". I was thrilled to find that photo of our son on my digital camera when I downloaded Easter photos. The beauty of digital cameras is I can let my budding photographers have the camera - rule is - "strap around the neck" - and I let them take any pictures they want. Our son took some cool architectural photos at church on Sunday morning. The photo in "Listen" was amongst a myriad of blurry photos - taken by our five year old. I love the angle, the composition - and the reflective mood of our son doing what, I am not sure.

On Good Friday we had some tough questions to answer as parents. "What does the Easter bunny got to do with Easter? "Why do we call it Easter when it is not in the Bible?" I love that Kyle is learning and asking questions. I relayed a bit of history of early Christianity and missionaries converting the Pagans - and thus tying in some of the Pagan rituals into Christianity so as to be more readily accepted. THus, I believe, the bunny is symbolic of fertility in a Pagan celebration of Spring. The history of the word Easter led to some on-line research. But without the research my husband and I both decided that from now on we would try to refer to Easter as Resurrection Day. A much longer greeting than "Happy Easter" - but definitely more true to our Christian celebration. So anyhow, the verse on listening jumped out at me as we try to "raise our child in the way that he should go".

So how am I celebrating this day? I took the day off, slept in, finished a bible study, enjoyed a mocha latte at the coffee house and chatted with friends whom my husband had called to surprise me there. I am relaxing -and refuse to do more than empty and fill the dishwasher re: housework today. Our daughter is singing in the chair beside me and I am remembering 5 years ago this day that I was enjoying her as my best birthday present ever.


I loved using Scenic Route for this layout and had fun creating this simple page, remembering the happy phone calls I made to announce the news that our daughter had arrived from Korea. I don't think any birthday will be as memorable as my 40th.

So what are you celebrating today? Your children, a great relationship, a cancer-free check up after your last chemo treatment? Maybe it is the little things - like the pleasure of listening to the song birds as they begin their spring courtship trills and whistles. Whatever it is - just remember to celebrate the life you have been given and celebrate the special person that you are!