My daughter and her five best friends since grade school are putting on a party tonight for one of their number, who turned 18 this week. They are all abuzz with plans for the festivities, and last night two of them were in our kitchen baking red velvet cake and cooking and crumbling chicken and wrapping them up in croissant dough to make little hors d'oeuvres and now the girls are sleeping in my daughter's room while the birthday girl takes the ACT this morning in the inexorable college quest.Soon the kitchen will be humming again. I see ingredients laid out on the counter ready for round two. I have done my part by packing and running the dishwasher and wiping down and sweeping and putting out and putting away so that they girls will have a fresh canvas to work with when they finally stumble into the kitchen from their rumpled girl-dreams. They love the birthday girl so much. She is the oldest of the group so she gets to the milestones first, and they celebrate her as hard as they can because she is just an exquisitely beautiful and kind soul and even when they were going through the girl wars in fifth grade she was Switzerland all the time. I love her too. Happy birthday, dear sweet one. I hope you see this and know how much you inspire the rest of us and how very completely you are loved.
The photo above is from a third grade Halloween night. This week's birthday girl is in white and beside her my daughter appears to be rhapsodizing over a piece of candy. The girls were nine. The picture to the right is from the fiftieth birthday party of my friend Isabella, whose daughter is the one who just turned 18. The girls were in 10th grade when they mugged for this photo. I kind of love the attitude and the blur.
Isn't it funny how our hearts take in the heart-friends of our babies?
ReplyDeleteOh how wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!
ReplyDeleteAnd once again, you have captured it with the beautiful way you express yourself.
How very fortunate these girls are to have each other and continue to remain so close, nurturing each other while they grow into the beautiful women they are each becoming.
And yes, how special and kind girl the birthday girl is!
Ms. Moon, you are so right. I hold all these girls in my heart. And curiously that is exactly what my daughter calls them, her "heart friends."
ReplyDeleteSusan! I lovelovelove seeing you here! These girls are a blessing we share. And they gave us each other, too. Hugs and welcome home.
Yay! My sister's big 18th bday! I'm bummed I'm in Chicago and couldn't crash their party tonight but I think I made up for it with the gift!
ReplyDeleteI love these girls!
wonderful brought a bushel of memories back of em with her childhood friends. i do someone can snap another action packed love group shot!!
ReplyDeletekoshercritter, i love them too! have fun in chicago.
ReplyDeletemouse, i have so many action packed group shots of these girls at every age, it could fill a book. i am sure i will share more from time to time. is em still close to her childhood friends? just wondering because these girls seem so connected i can't imagine them not being close in the future. always great to see you!
The party was amazing! So thrilled to find this entry. It is true that since my daughter is the oldest amongst her friends, her birthday milestones are celebrated with huge enthusiasm. She truly feels loved!
ReplyDeleteIsabella, she is so loved. as you are. i heard the sleepover was even better than the party, which doesn't surprise me at all.
ReplyDeleteand now we climb the next glorious hill!