Happy Birthday, Tina

As most of you know, last summer my sister-in-law (Tina) moved in with us. Some of you may read that sentence and cringe. I admit, I was a bit nervous sharing my already small house with one more person, but she's one of my best friends so it couldn't be too bad!

I was so wrong.

Hah! Just kidding! I have actually thoroughly enjoyed our time living together. We seem to have been able to work out an appropriate routine with her in the house. B absolutely love's having her here, anyone to play with him is good in his book. Allie is going to literally die of depression when she no longer lives with us. (Seriously, she's in her room right now while I am alone downstairs, she might as well be Tina's dog) And it's really nice to have someone around to see how weird K is and why I'm not just crazy. She truly helps me and K's relationship because she's known K her whole life and can sometimes understand his antics and explain to me. Also she can explain to him things I am trying to say in ways he will understand. We've got a good thing going. I know that this cannot last forever. One day she will have to move on from our lives and that will be really sad. In the mean time, I am enjoying this time we have together. So I decided for her birthday to share our story.

Some of you may or may not know that I met and became friends with Tina before K. She is his younger sister and we ended up in the same chorus class during high school. It was the first day of junior year and I had spent the entirety of sophmore year thinking K was a stupid know it all. Really, I couldn't stand him! So here I sat my first day of junior year and my teacher stands up and tells us he's excited to introduce this student to us. He makes her stand up in front of everyone and says, "This is K's younger sister!"

I cringed. How awful for her! To have to be introduced as his younger sister? That poor girl!

We were instant friends.

Except she actually liked her brother and they were basically best friends. I decided to look past that and befriend her regardless. We got along flawlessly, and the rest is almost history!

She's pretty much the reason me and K got together our senior year. She's seen the start of our friendship and watched us blossom from friends to boyfriend and girlfriend, to annoying sibling who makes out with annoying ex-best friend every chance they get, to "yay I have my friends back", to future sister-in-law and brother, to sister-in-law and brother. What a journey we have seen! So much has happened in that time and I am so blessed to have her as a sister. K's siblings have been amazing to me and I could not be more happy to have them in my life. I truly gained four more siblings on our wedding day. Tina was a special bonus because I definitely ended up marrying one of my best friend's brother!

So happy birthday, Tina! Love you to pieces.

Also there is no way I am posting this blog without this picture.

(This is what happens when you go to downtown Disney with your BFSIL but cannot actually get into Disneyland. We were real sad. And thus, this picture will forever be how I share my love for Tina. By posting it on the internet every chance I get.)

One Year Later

When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. John 16:21 It's taken some time, but I finally have enough time to sit down and type up a one year blog for B's first birthday. It's funny because everyone says "It goes so fast!", "Don't blink!", and I really took these things to heart over the last year. There were so many times that I would think to myself, "soak this in, Sam, he wont be this little forever." and yet here I am a year later with him; my new toddler boy. It really didn't start hitting me until a couple of months ago when K and I noticed his looks changing quite a bit. He began losing a lot of the baby looks and was beginning to look like a little boy. It's so unfair that you get such a short time with them as infants. Barely a year goes by before they are grown right before your eyes and learning new tricks and words every day. I have only had one sad moment of his growth this entire year. It took about a week of it, but after a few days I realized he had outgrown falling asleep on my lap. He would fuss or even just wind down and I knew he was ready for bed. I'd lay him down and without a sound, he would lay down and go to sleep. I walked into my bedroom and laid on my husband's lap and cried. That was a defining moment for me, because he had never been able to go to bed without falling asleep on our laps first. It was something I was so concerned about, yet adored because it was ultimate snuggle time. Now he just goes right to bed, even for naps now. Don't get me wrong, I am a very lucky mother and I do NOT take this for granted!! It was just the moment that I realized he wasn't my baby anymore. He was my little boy. This year has been such a learning experience for me on so many different levels beyond motherhood. Bringing B into our lives has altered myself and K's marriage drastically, it has altered my entire way and views on life. I expected the changes, but not quite as much! However, through all of my new learning experience B is a light, a joy, and the biggest blessing I have ever experienced. Motherhood is something I did not expect to come so naturally to me. I was never a kid person, but I always wanted my own. B is perfect for me in every way, he's like my best friend. We understand each other and he helps me grow more than I help him most days. God gave me an angel when he blessed me with B as my first born. That kid is so sweet-natured, so easy going. I really have no complaints on anything in his life. He has never given me a hard time, and even today with his little attitude growing; it's nothing too terrible. I call this year the biggest blessing of my entire life. I never knew that someone could make me so happy and make me feel such an enormous amount of love. I am so blessed to have my little boy and I am looking forward to watching him grow and learn for as many years as God will give me. I love him so dearly, he is my everything. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. Psalm 127:3