Once in a Lifetime Moments

Recent events have caused me to step back and take a look at my life. I have had to ask myself some really hard questions, are my priorities in order? Does God and family come first? Do I treasure the time I spend with those that mean the most to me? Sometimes I am great at this, and sometimes I flat out suck. However, I have decided to start looking at life from a new prespective. The "this is a once in a lifetime" prespective.

On Monday, September 21, 2009, our youngest daugther turns two. We are having a birthday party for her on Saturday, September 19, 2009. As you all know, it is a Minnie Mouse party (or as Josie calls it a Mickey Mouse Disney Clubhouse party). This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. This will be our daughter's one and only second birthday. God willing she will have many many more, but this is her one and only second birthday. This will be her one and only second birthday party. She is already excited as we have been talking about Minnie Mouse. Aunt Sheila, Uncle Quint, and Caden bought the girls little Minnie Mouse stuffed animals at Disney World. Jolie carries hers around saying Minnie Mouse. Life passes us by so quickly and sometimes we forget what is truly important. Now it is easy for me to stop and take notice of a birthday and a birthday party because, of course, those are big things in our lives, but I am having to make myself slow down and realize that with the every day moments as well. Raising my girls is a once in a lifetime journey that God put Joe and I on. Kissing them goodnight, reading stories, coloring, praying, bath time, each moment is a once in a lifetime moment because like snowflakes, although they may all appear to be the same, each moment is in fact different. The girls are one day older, one day smarter, one day closer to being grown. We will never gets these days back. I am slowly learning that I need to live each moment, treasure every second, and realize that every day that I spend with my husband and girls is a once in a lifetime moment.

Enjoying the moment is my sweet precious nephew Tanner sporting his Mickey Mouse ears that were included in his invitation to Jolie's birthday party: