Sarah's Birthday

Oh dear, am I ever behind!  Sarah turned five on June 6th and, well, this is six weeks later.  However, to make up for my tardiness, I will post multiple photos of our beloved daughter to demonstrate how much we love and cherish this little girl.  Then, one day, when she moves into the realms of literacy, she will read this post and forgive her dear mother for almost failing to document her special day.  But, isn't she cute?  I am so fond of this little girl.  I remember when the idea of another child so soon after Isaac was first proposed.  I thought the proposal was ludicrous.  But, yet, that proposal was Sarah.  How easily I could have missed out on this fabulous child; how much better are God's plans than my own!

The problem with posting so late is that I have nearly forgotten how we spent the day.  What I do know is that there was ice cream cake.  Ridiculously priced ice cream cake.  Why do we shell out so much for so little?
Sarah is everything you could ask for in a five year old girl.  She is full of fun and kindness.  Every single morning she hops out of bed with a smile.  When she finds me, she hugs me tightly around the legs and asks for a cup of tea.  She insists on wearing a dress every single day and loves when Hannah braids and curls her hair.  She is extremely easy-going and easy to get along with.  She has a real gift of friendship and is extremely extroverted.  She really is a brand new personality to us and we delight in Sarah - or, as Dave calls her, the little girler.

Also, at some point in the day, Sarah's good friend Ella came to play and joined us for supper and cake.  I also recall lots of jumping on the trampoline and being chased by older brothers.  Ella's mother is the sixth child in a family of 12.  I often think of Ella's mother and the life that she and her husband have established when I think of Sarah.  Sarah is our sixth child and one day she too will lead a life separate from us that bears fruit in its own unique way.  Mysterious.

I think that Ben somehow appears in the background of almost every sibling birthday photo.  Dave has a thing about taking pictures of the birthday cake.  We sing Happy Birthday while Hannah carries over the cake.  Then, without fail (years of without fail), Dave stops the show just as the cake is placed before the birthday child, instructs them to tip the cake slightly upward and takes a shot of child and cake.  I wonder if he realises how unfailingly he performs this ritual?

The other inevitable ritual is that all the other kids (minus two who happen to be slightly better-mannered) clamour for the first piece.  They are told forcefully to sit back down and wait while the birthday girl and her guest are served (and I console myself that this behaviour is strong character in our children and not the result of bad parenting).