The Big 4-0

April has come to an end, and there was one big event to mention - I celebrated my 40th birthday! I have officially crossed over from one decade to the next. When I think back to turning 30, I was about 8-weeks pregnant with Emmy, and the excitement and uncertainity of motherhood were at the forefront of my mind. I don't remember being too focused on saying goodbye to my 20s. Even now, with the busyness of life, there wasn't much time on that Thursday to give a lot of thought to turning 40. However, all of my friends and family made it a special day full of sweet surprises, thoughtful gifts, and yummy treats. When I first woke up, I was greeted with a heart full of messages from Emmy on my bathroom mirror. Some of the messages were silly - "sweet as pie", "born colorful", and "sprinkles kindness." Others really touched my heart - "heartworking Mommy", "full of forgiveness", and "cheers me on." I plan to leave them up until their stickiness makes them fall. When I went downstairs, the counter was full of all of my favorite treats. My family definitely spoiled me. At work, there were even more surprises there. My Starmount coworkers got me a bag full of goodies, and everyone brought in food and desserts for lunch. It was so thoughtful! In the evening, we were at the ballfield for Emmy's Walkertown softball game against the King Bananas. It was a competitive game that ended in a 8-8 tie at the time limit. While in a lot of ways the day was a "normal" day with work and sports, there were a lot of little things that made it special. Tonight (yes, two weeks later on May 1st!) we celebrated together with Grammy, Granpda, and the Houstons. We had dinner at East Coast Wings, and it doubled as my victory meal for winning the Bakewell Bracket Challenge. The 30s sure brought a lot of wonderful memories - I pray the 40s will be just as good to me!

April was a full month of school activities and ball games. Emmy's class took a field trip to Bethabara, and Eli's went bowling. They have also had Field Day, which of course is a highlight for every elementary-aged kid. Things at the high schools are very busy too. I went to Starmount's Prom on the 25th, and much like the Forbush Prom, I was coming from the ballfield after back-to-back games for Eli in Walkertown and then Emmy in Greensboro. It's hard to keep it straight with all the games that have passed since the last time I wrote. This past Saturday though was probably the most exciting day all around for both kids. Eli's team had an exciting 10-9 win against another strong Walkertown team, and Eli made all three outs in the final inning to hold off the home team. All three outs were pop-ups to him at 2nd Base - so exciting! He also went 3-for-3 at the plate, earning him the game ball. Eli and I kept reliving the plays in the car as we drove from Walkertown to Greensboro, where Emmy's Yadkin Ignite Black team was in bracket play. The previous weekend, the Yadkin Ignite Pink won the Silver Bracket, but this time, they were fighting for the Gold. They had two tough games in bracket play and won the championship 10-9 - same score as Eli's! It was Emmy's first time winning a Gold Bracket championship, and it was sure exciting to finish at the top of all the teams that day. At some point, I will stop posting photos from every. single. game. but ball has certainly taken over my Camera Roll. We did fit in one soccer game. Last Friday, we were able to watch Zander play in High Point, and his team had a hard-fought tie, 1-1, with Zander scoring the team's one goal. I yelled for him as if he were my own out there - It's hard to contain myself when watching any of our kids! 

This month was also special at church for two reasons. On Sunday, the 19th, Emmy was able to take part in her first Communion. Boomer and I talked to her beforehand so that she understood the meaning behind the bread and juice. I love the way that our church provides this opportunity and the inclusion of our youngest believers. The second special event was on Sunday, the 26th, when Boomer was ordained as a deacon. He was one of five men to be ordained that morning, and the currently serving deacons prayed over them. I am so proud of Boomer for the godly leader he is in our marriage, our home, at our church, on the ballfield, in the workplace, and wherever he is. A glimpse at the calendar for May, and it seems that it will be another month jam-packed of school activities and sports. What a blessing it is to experience this season of life!