A Time to Celebrate and A Time to Mourn

The week and a half of celebrating Miss Emalyn's birthday culminated tonight in her big party. We were so thankful to be celebrating the first year of this little one with family and friends.  I don't think she got to open one present for herself (and I found most of her new toys up in Maddie's room tonight), but the good news is she doesn't know the difference yet. (In her mind she didn't open them, they aren't hers). 

Here was the birthday girl eating her cake. She was not too fond of the hat. 

The theme was pink and brown ladybugs. I had a friend make the invitations, and they turned out really cute. 

And I had her cake ladybug cake by Darlene's Kakes, which is where we always had our birthday cakes from growing up, but it was the first time I had ordered one. Ithas just moved into the Donut Den (and you can pick up the cake on Sunday!). It was delicious. And Emalyn even had her own smash cake. 

A few more ladybug decorations:

Loving on her Bebe. 

All the kids playing upstairs in Maddie's room before dinner. 

Neel, Carrie, and Miss Caroline 

Singing Happy Birthday!

 Big Sister always right there to help!

          

  Here favorite thing was the bow off of Katie & Lewis' gift!

 All the "big girls" sitting on the sofa

It sure was a special night, but as I have been running around and getting my house ready for such a joyful occasion and even celebrating today, my heart has been break for my sweet friend Abby Johnson Haygood, who's husband, Sam, passed away from cancer early in the morning Friday. As I was fixing the lasagna for tonight to celebrate, she was burying her husband. I cannot even imagine everything she is going through. Talk about changing my perspective. I had my list (as usual) of projects I wanted to get accomplished in my house before the party, which so quickly seemed to not matter anymore. Abby was an ADPi a year younger than me and was in my Bible Study for three years at Auburn and then for a year after she moved back to Atlanta. She and Sam got engaged the weekend he was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, and it had already metathesized to his lungs, which is one of those times when I wish I just got to be the friend and didn't have the oncology nurse's perspective in the back of my head. He went into remission a little over a year in, but then he relapsed two weeks before their wedding. I don't usually cry in wedding, but I don't know how there could have been a dry eye in the church as they made their vows to each other "for better or for worse...in sickness and in health."  I think it was always the trip to Atlanta that I was dreading and praying that I would never have to make, but I think it made it harder on me that I couldn't go today to be with Abby. I know in the whirlwind, I wouldn't have gotten to see her but for a second. But it goes against everything inside of me not to be there for a friend in a time like this. Anna Boney and I are hoping to get down to Atlanta the end of the month to spend a weekend with her. My prayer right now is that the Lord would provide someone to walk through this new part of her journey with her who has been through a similar circumstance who can truly understand what she is going through. 

"There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven:...a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance" Ecclesiastis 3:1,4