7 & 12 ... The Birthday Weekend ...

Today our "baby" turned 7 ... hard to believe that it was seven years ago that Mag woke me up through the night by calling from the bathroom that her water had broken ... But it is ...

That day started quickly and somewhat harshly ... at about 4:30 am, Mag went to the small bathroom that was in our bedroom and by 9am we had our third child - our second daughter ... Rebekkah's delivery was fast and she was a HUGE baby ... but she was and has been very healthy.

It has been a busy seven years ... we marked her first birthday waiting to move to Minnedosa after being fired from Sharon United in Langley ... unlike Hannah and Sam, Rebekkah has spent her formative years on the prairies. She is a BC girl by birth only ... Nursery School and Kindergarten have happened in Minnedosa - like the other children of Minnedosa, she watched on February 12th as her Church and Nursery School burned down ...

Now our little baby is slowly becoming a big girl ... she can read, write and ride a bike without training wheels or a parent running along side ... She started her life in a hurry-up sort of way, but has become a wonderful young lady, who like her sibs fills our lives with joy and meaning ...

And tomorrow, our eldest - our little baby boy turns 12 ... TWELVE ???? Where has the little baby I used to sing to sleep gone??

It seems like yesterday that Mag spent two days in the hospital as they tried to initiate labour ... then when it finally started it seemed to take forever ... But in the early morning hours of May 21st, Samuel Elliot arrived in the United Church Hospital in Bella Coola ... he was helped along with doctors and nurses who had been gathered and were employed by the United Church, and the first person he met that night (before the RCMP showed up to meet him - don't know if that bodes well for his future ...) was the organist from the United Church ... Sam was and remains our Mission and Service boy !!

I remember the next morning, going out to the garage and telling our friend Wendy (his God-mother and one of our dearest and most cherished friends) that I was going to see my son ... I was proud of him that day, and with each passing year I find myself more and more proud of him. There are moments I don't like him much - but I will always love him and I will always be cheering from the sidelines as he accomplishes whatever he sets his mind to ... He's a mouthy, smart, and incredible young man - and tomorrow he turns 12.

My mind still reels at that ... where did the last 12 years go ??

The last year has seen a huge change in him ... he's growing up ... he has a journey ahead of him, but he'll turn out okay ... and we'll continue to love and cherish him ...

I'm proud of all three of my kids, and I think they are all great young people ... I look forward to seeing what they will accomplish in life and where they will go ... This weekend we can look back on a long and windy road while we look ahead a road that continues to wend its way forward ... and with Sam, Hannah and Rebekkah accompanying us it will be a good journey ...

Happy Birthday to my two Birthday Babies - you make me proud to be your dad ...

... and I look forward to sharing many more birthday weekends with you (and Hannah too)!!