This is such a big week end for you! On Friday you turned 8 years old and on Sunday you were baptized. LSU was even nice enough to play the season opener in between. And today is Labor day, good thing I can sleep when I’m dead.

So let’s get right to it. It has been a great year. This year you finished up 2nd grade on the honor roll, continued to dance and have taken an interested in art. You partied like it was 1999 all summer, complete with the trips to Houston, TX, Jacksonville, FL and the annual beach trip to the island. Third grade is off to great start too, if we don’t talk about your conduct. At all. Ever. You, of course, still love to read.

You have had a real growth spurt in the last few months and have gotten so big. Which is great for you, because it meant all new clothes. Your father cried clutching the check book while we shopped. We all have our rolls in this family.

Your actually birthday was spent at a blow out at Build a Bear with 8 of your friends. On Saturday we had another 20 plus of all our closet friends over for a your birthday/Liah’s birthday/the LSU game. But because all that was not enough and there were no hurricanes this year, on Sunday you were baptized at 4 pm wearing an outfit that Olivia, (Liah’s sister) was baptized in. The girl’s mother Annie, was so sweet to lend us the creation she had so lovely sewn for her own daughters. You then changed into the most delicious dress ever seen. Tifani and I spent weeks designing it, and then Tifani sewed it to life. Because you were such a vision, we simply had to invite everyone back to the house to eat and party some more. And come they did. We entertained over 30 of our closest friends well into the night. It was a blast. I hope you enjoyed it as much as everyone else seemed to.

Emme, you are stunning. Anyone who looks at you can tell that, but there is so much more to you. You are so kind and loving. You have been from the moment you entered the world. And while you will spend your life being told how pretty you are, what I want to you to always remember and carry with you is that kind heart. It is what it is truly important. You have such a special spirit. I hope you know that. I hope I tell you that enough so that you never question it. I know you will continue to grow into the intelligent, gorgeous, caring young lady that I constantly see glimpse of now. I can’t wait to continue to watch that growth. You go girl, get out there and rule the world. Well maybe in another 10 years or so, because for now I am still loving having the snuggliest 8 year old on the planet. (Who continues to be the best hugger in the world.)

All My Love,
Mom

Dear Katrina,

This year I will no longer consider myself a failure if I cry when talking about you. If I cry for the rest of my life whenever you come up, that’s okay. You were traumatic. I accept that.

This year I will remove the chip from my shoulder. I will no longer rage against others who want to talk about you. I will accept people are naturally curious. I will quit taking my rage for YOU out on others. No, they were not here, they do not know, but they can ask questions. It’s okay. I will even attempt to put up with the analysis and conflicting opinions. Being caught up in the hierarchy of suffering is pointless. I will allow everyone the room to process the experience in their own way.

This year and for ever more I will focus on the good. I will remember the way everyone came together to help. That even though things went wrong, everyone truly pitched in and gave everything. And then some. I will no longer participate in the ‘they didn’t do enough’ and ‘they went about it all wrong’ games. I was here, in the middle of it and I am telling you that everyone was throwing everything they had at you, Katrina. If anyone felll short, at least they were trying.

This year I will formally thank Dr. H A P Myers for coming all the way down from Idaho and supporting my practice as we tried to help the shelter that my church became. I was all alone with my office being hit so hard and on an island of trauma. I was scared and hurting, but Dr. Myers took my hand and provided normalcy and direction. He pointed out all that was still functioning and by rolling up his sleeves, showed me that I could do it too. I will never forget sitting in the nursery room with him reviewing files. He looked at the cherubs playing beside us and said, “You know, it’s so important to watch healthy kids to remember what that looks like.” Then we were quiet and just played with the kids, forever reminding me that my kids were safe and happy and to look for and find the joy in life again.

I will acknowledge that you are a part of my history, but do not have to shape my future. Today I take my power back from you. You were nothing but a weather event, traumatic, but not alive. So today, I stop writing letters to you.
Today I say good bye to you and keep moving forward.

Erika

Thanks Kim for bringing Ami to play and celebrate his 4th birthday!

I really like the vacant look in Bruno’s eyes in this one. Ya know, like he’s really done hard time in a frame.
So sad.

You can find more here. I just couldn’t choose!

You’re welcome.

Today you turn another year older and for your birthday I got you kids that go back to school tomorrow. You’re welcome.

I figured this year you should have a birthday letter since you included me in the the school blessings. I do like to follow your lead. Wow, I almost typed that with a straight face!

So what have you accomplished this year? Well, you continue to work at that state agency that so graciously deposits money in our account every two weeks for me to spend. (That’s my favorite part, you know?) As long as they keep doing that, I’ll keep sending you. And they keep doing that because you keep doing a fantastic job directing their communications, (what ever that means.) Seriously you consistently put together amazing fairs, PR campaigns and annual reports. Everyone says so and I honestly couldn’t be more proud of you.

You continue to play softball for the Wombats. In fact you had a game tonight in which you went 2 for 3. The whole family really enjoys going out to your ball games, even grandpa Bob regularly gets in on the action.

You also continue to perform amazing feats on the grill and throw killer LSU parties. But that is weeks away, and I’m more a what’s right in front of me, oh look shiny, kind of girl so I’ll move on.

Now honestly other than work, baseball, LSU and well us, your lovely family, I really can’t think of anything else that you are in to. If I’ve missed something I truly apologize, but I’m really thinking that you need to get some extra curricular actives. Let’s work on that okay? Especially if we are going to continue with the birthday letters.

Jeff, all joking aside, you are the best thing that every happened to me. I can’t imagine life without you in it. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, mostly those damn cherubs, but you? You are the smartest decision I ever made. Thanks for making my life better.

Love,
Erika

*Title taken directly from Jeff’s facebook birthday status.

I think they kinda of like each other. What do you think?

Thanks guys for letting me celebrate this milestone with you!

I’ll let you know how it turns out.