Charity

When I was a kiddo and still in the custody of my biological mother I longed for a brother or a sister to share my time with. Sometimes, I wanted a sibling that was older and who would take care or me and stick up to those nasty kids who often made fun of me. Sometimes, I wanted a sibling that was my own age. One that I could stay up late with and become best friends with.

I never had another sibling. At least not one that I grew up with. I had a half sister that I knew of. Charity. I had met her when we were very young. We shared several visits together before my mom lost custody of me and I became a ward of the state and was moved away.
My younger childhood was pretty lonely. Making friends never seemed to work because every time I did get close to someone, I would get moved again. I wished on many occasions that Charity was moving around with me. Then, at least then I would have someone.
As I grew older I still wanted to find her, talk to her and possibly become friends with her. A couple of years ago I finally did find her, practically in my own back yard!  She had been living in this area and only ten minutes from my house for years! We never knew that we were so close. How that was even possible is beyond me.

 

Over the last couple of years our friendship has grown. We still have a lot of time to make up for but hopefully we both have a lot of time left here on earth, to do just that.

My childhood has made me build a wall that practically never comes down. Its something that I am working on and probably always will be, but its something that I work at even hard for my sister because I want to be her "big sister" and someone that she can depend on. Plus, she has a son, Lex (or Alexander) and I want to be his aunt. I want him to know me and to know my children as his cousins and not just as some kids that he randomly plays with. I want the same for my children as well.

Family is important to me. It is something that I prayed for as a child and it is a prayer that God has willingly and graciously answered for me. I don't take this gift lightly.

On a side note, A couple of years ago I also found out that I have yet another sister as well as a brother, both whom are quite a bit younger than I am. We speak on occasion and I love them both dearly!

What a Birthday

I have been really excited all day. It hit me this morning while I was finishing the mobile that Vada has no clue what today is, not yet anyway. It'll be another couple of years before she realizes what a birthday is and what one means for her. Tonight when she eats cake and ice cream for the first time and when we sing Happy Birthday to her, she wont know why. She may even look at us as if we were all crazy. However, were naturally pretty "kooky" around this house anyway, so she may not.

The first birthday really is more of a celebration for the parents, siblings and loved ones. That's what we wanted today to be. A celebration of her birth, her life and the amazing little girl that she is.

We received approval to start reintroducing Vada back into the general public yesterday, while we were in Peoria. We're still avoiding situations with large groups of children (schools, children targeted restaurants and activities as well as our church daycare) because it is still the "cold season" and as much as we love, love, love the kiddo's in our life... they are still germ caring little boogers. So, for now we will be slowly introducing her to her family and to her hopefully new bestest (yeh, I wrote that) buddies. Her birthday party was very intimate because of this. We invited the great grandmothers and of course The the grandparents. My sister was invited as well, but on short notice (yesterday) and was unable to come due to work.

We had pizza and Vada had the "bones", because she is too darn picky and really wont eat a darn thing..., still.

Vada was cuddled up and loved on by both of her Great Grandmothers. It had been quite sometime since they had seen each other.

The last time that Vada saw G.G. Wilson was during the summer (last year).

G.G. Dhondt's one and only visit was on Mother's Day! Needless to say, there was a lot of hugging to make up for all of that missed time on both ends!

Grandpa and Grandma Wilson had a cold that lasted a couple of weeks, leaving them missing their Vada girl as well, so they were eager to love on her just as much!

Jasmine and Kiliegh helped Vada eat her butterfly wings and they even blew out the candle, which was really a t-light because I forgot to buy birthday candles!


I love, love my little ladies so darn much! I feel guilty that I don't write as often about them as I do about Vada. It's hard though. They are in school five days out of the week and then visiting their dad's every other Friday (or something close to that). Vaders is with me all of the time, so finding things to say about her comes quite a bit easier. I'm going to have to find something special to post of the older two. They really get a kick out of seeing themselves up on Facebook or on the blog. It's kind of funny because they think being on the blog makes them famous.

After pizza, cake...

ice cream... (Grandma was the first to give it to her)

and then a quick spray down in the kitchen sink Vada went with Daddy to the couch and opened her gifts.

Usually, I wouldn't make much of a deal on the gift side of birthdays but this girl made out like a bandit! She received a child like fortune from the GG's and my parents, which has already been put into her very own savings account.

Grandma and Grandpa Wilson bought her a Smart Trike which I cant wait for her to use!

She received a toy that not only entertained her...

... it also entertained her older sisters as well. I think maybe even more so.

She got a pink outdoor swing, a beautiful dress and then, because she is who she is, a Wilson, she received her very first tool bench work station.

She did it! She made it through the first year and all with out needing heart surgery! At one point we were told she would need the surgery as soon as she was born. She showed them! She has fought through the seizures with a minimal amount of hospital visits and she has barely caught any colds.

This girl is as strong as they come and as wonderful. We have been so blessed with her presence over this last year and look forward to the ones ahead. We have all grown because of her. She has taught us about life and its true beauties and because of her we have grown closer to each other and with Christ. Celebrating her, today was another one of my favorite life moments that I will treasure, forever.

We all had a long day, but it was a beautiful one!

Our Gift

Truthfully, I have no idea or explanation as to why I chose to do what I did. Origami. Butterflies. A Mobile. Why would anyone think to put them together and for a birthday gift, let alone a first birthday gift. It's weird..., I know, but I like it!

My sister in-law made origami snow flake Christmas cards this last year. That was a pretty cool idea. I was impressed. Maybe she somehow inspired me?

Justin's cousin bought a really neat mobile that you clip pictures onto, but that was well over two years ago. This could have been where I got some of my inspiration?

Regardless of when and where I became inspired, something triggered my creative side. I have always liked butterflies and one day recently I decided to try origami stars. Once I saw how good the finished product looked I began experimenting with different types of origami butterflies. After finding a pattern that I really liked, I thought it would be pretty to have them floating around Vada in a picture, so i began to make multiple butterflies. Once I had several made I really liked all of the color that I was seeing, so I decided to make a rainbow of butterflies.

After having about twenty butterflies made I decided that making a mobile would be the simplest way to get the butterflies "flying" above Vada. I asked my sweet, sweet husband if he would cut me a piece of wood for the top and I began drawing out my ideas for the mobile. What he made was something above and beyond what I asked for! It really helped make the mobile "artsy" as I had intended it to be.

I knew that I wanted something to hang from the ends of the wires, but I was not for sure as to what. Originally, I had planned on doing polished stones/gems. Once I got to the art store and found that my idea was going to cost me around $13.00 per strand I quickly declined and decided that I would need to rethink my original plan over and find something new.

What I found was perfect! In fact, it was better than what I had planned for in the beginning.

What was intended for jewelry making I used for my little weights at the ends of each strand. Each charm had it's own specific word on it and kind of matched up with the color of the butterflies on that specific sting. Wisdom, Hope, Faith, Love and Believe.


I had decided that the center of the mobile needed a little something more than it's surrounding lines of fluttering friends. I found medals that were also engraved with its own unique word. My final touch was to add the charm with the angel wings. Very fitting. Together, I felt as if Justin and I had made the perfect gift to give to our Birthday Girl.


I forgot about this special charm. I just realized it today (3/7/11) while I was negotiating Vada eating dinner. We still have the mobile floating above her high chair. I look at it often as I try to figure out what to do with it now. Tonight was the first time that the angel charm floated by. It was like it was just asking to be announced. So, I am sharing this lonely forgotten charm now.