Happy Birthday Katie!

Katie was born 28 years ago today! How did she get to be 28 so fast? When Katie was born, the Woman's Auxiliary Club at Long Beach Community Hospital sent the babies home in Christmas stockings. There was my new baby, "Katie Noel" next to our Christmas tree. And in "a blink of the eye" here we were for Katie's first birthday. That year seemed to have flown by! And once again, in the blink of an eye, Katie was two years old, and now our family had grown with the addition of her baby brother Bryce born in October right before Katie turned two. What was I thinking? And on this birthday, Katie became middle child. Not always the easiest place to be in a family, just ask her! And when I look back, all of those birthdays seemed to pick up speed as my little baby was becoming a little girl and more independent each day. My kids were always close, partly because they are close in age, and partly because we were and are truly a family. Katie's birthdays went from tricycles, to bicycles, to the teenage years and then a car. All, once again in a blink of the eye! Before my eyes, "Katie Baby" as we use to call her, is all grown up with a baby of her own! Oh, how I wish I could have slowed those years down and enjoyed them more. But the funny thing about life and aging is that as I get older, I enjoy and appreciate my kids even more these days as I watch them grow up and have babies of their own. So on this special day, I have lots of fond memories and am very thankful I still get to celebrate Katie's birthday with her today! Not everyone is as blessed as I am, and I never ever forget that. As I write this post I keep thinking about the song Zach Gill sings, "you watch'em grow, and then one day you let them go". I'm just happy mine didn't "go" too far! Happy Birthday Katie.