Rhys' 5th Birthday

Rhys' 5th birthday was on a Monday this year. It was a heartbreaking Monday. Mid-day there was a devastating announcement made by The Calgary Police Department regarding the disappearance of a 5 year old boy named Nathan O'Brian. His disappearance was now a homicide investigation. I saw the news unexpectedly while checking Facebook for birthday greetings for Rhys. I was so overcome with emotion, that my manager tried to send me home. I couldn't contain the sorrow I felt for this little boy's parents.

We had plans to celebrate Rhys' brithday with family at the Chinook Mall Bowladrome, and thank-goodness we did. With heavy hearts and bloodshot eyes, we all got to be together, laughing with, and spoiling, our 5 year old little man, all too aware that a family just like ours, had had this precious luxury ripped from them forever.

 

We celebrated a second time the following Saturday, this time with friends as well, at our place. Ioften dwell on the amount of time and money spent to celebrate birthdays, especially when the celebrations turn into week long events, with hundreds of dollars spent on gifts, activities, food, drinks, and decorations.

 

This year, I didn't care at all. I wanted to spoil my son rotten, make him laugh and feel special, and snuggle him tight at night in his bed as he rambled on about anything and everything. I bought decorations I knew would only be used once, and I baked him a special cake even though I loathe baking.

 

None of us are guaranteed another birthday. And my heart still breaks daily for Nathan's parents, whose Facebook page looks just mine, only now it's full of awkward words of condolences posted on a wall.

Remembrance Day 2012

Ever since Warren and I started the tradition of attending the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Military Museum about four years ago, it has become something I really look forward to. And, as I discovered this year, something I feel very guilty about missing. We went back and forth on the decision. First it looked like Warren would need to be showing clients earlier in the morning, so we wouldn't attend. Then it turned out his appointments wouldn't start until 1pm - plenty of time! But then, the forecast was predicting -16 degrees in the early hours, so we made the choice not to go this year, especially with Kyle still so young. And I felt SO guilty. Warren thought I was being ridiculous (he thinks I have 'guilt' issues). But all I could think was 'People left their families to fight wars...we shouldn't mind standing in the cold for an hour'. It's also like when you're invited to a function, maybe a birthday party, and you decide not to go, and you tell yourself 'oh, lots of people are going, no one will really notice if I'm not there, so it's not a big deal'. But there is significance in numbers. It matters. Anyway... So no pictures of Kyle and Rhys freezing their butts off this year.

Instead, Rhys and I spent the morning visiting at a friends' house, then we all headed to Nana and GranDan's to celebrate his 82nd birthday. And of course, I had left the camera at home.

So, here is a completely unrelated, slightly old, picture of my two loves...sitting in a laundry basket.

And I am thankful. And I remember.

TWO: A Birthday Post In Pictures

A Birthday In Pictures

Yesterday was Rhys's 1st Birthday. When my brother Adam showed up he asked me "Who the heck has a party on a Wednesday night?".

I do, that's who.

First, the PONY we got Rhys for his Birthday:

Playing with his new water transportation station:

Gathered around his new bubble lawnmower with Uncle James & Aunt Kayley:

Wagon!:

And, the moment I'd been waiting for! :

To top off the evening, we hauled everyone into the Pub for an exclusive VIP screening of his birthday video.

And now, for the World Premier! Click Here To Watch.

When I watch it, I can't believe it's only documenting one year. It feels like a lifetime ago that he was born, because my world is so different with him in it.

Song choices:

1st song: 'Innocence' by Avril Lavigne. This song hit me hard when I was pregnant with Rhys. I would crank it in the car and just bawl.

2nd song: 'I Gotta Feeling' by The Black Eyed Peas. I picked this song for a few reasons. First, it has a great intro. Second, it had the 'vibe' I wanted. 3rd, it's a really good sample of the music that was popular the year Rhys was born. It's probably the most over played song in history!

3rd song: 'Canned Heat' by Jamiroquai. It's just a fun song.

4th song: 'Loving You Is Easy' by Sarah Mclachlan. I was so torn about what song to use for the end of the video. Had a few in mind. Then I heard this a few weeks ago on CBC Radio 2, and I had found my ending.

Video was shot on a Canon HD Mini-DV video camera. Maternity photos taken by my friends and professional photographers at Big Picture Photography. Video edited on a MacBook Pro with the iMovie program.

Cake Boss.

Just call me 'Buddy'...

Post!

Today was really fun. Rhys & I spent the day at Grampa & Grandma's house to celebrate my Dad's birthday. Rhys got an early birthday present - a wagon! - and his uncle James pulled him around in it. He called it a 'baby motor home' because Rhys was lounging and eating snacks in it. Lots of video & photos were taken of the fun we had, but of course that was all on other people's cameras.

So, I'm just posting for posting's sake. I'll *try* to do better tomorrow!