one

Today is one that I have seen coming for awhile, and yet, it still has taken me by surprise.

My baby is one.  As in, one year.  Say what? When did this happen?!  

On this day a year ago, I went in for a routine checkup two days past my due date.  That routine checkup turned into, "Why don't you just swing by triage to have things checked out," which suddenly became, "We're going to break your water now!"  

It seems like only yesterday, and yet, it seems so distant.  

The days may be long, but oh, time is so short with this baby girl.

Chris recently went to a youth conference where they used an illustration of a jar of marbles.  The idea was to take a jar and fill it with marbles - one for every week until your child graduates high school.  Then, at the end of each week, remove a marble from the jar.  It is meant to help parents recognize how little time they have with their children.

Today, I am down a year's worth of marbles.  And although high school graduation seems lightyears away, there was once a day when her first birthday seemed the same way.  And now here we are.

What am I going to do with the marbles we have left? The job behind such a question seems daunting, and I'm not even sure I can give a proper answer.  But I do know this - I will love my daughter deeply, I will cherish every moment, and I will do my best to teach her the responsibility of living intentionally. I want her to discover her calling and then answer it in the way only she can.

Oh, I have so many dreams for that girl.

Happy birthday, sweet Evie.  You are loved more than you'll ever know.  May we never take a moment with you for granted.