Jack's First Birthday

It was a special evening of gathering family and close friends together and celebrating our 5th little man...

Jack with Deana B....

Sean giving Erik a back rub!!  Erik's back had been hurting badly for several days at this point!!

Happy Jack's cakes...

Hmmm.....

It's good!!!!

I could eat you up, sweet Jack Jack!!!

Waving to his adoring fans....

Taking this next picture was my mom's idea, and I am so glad we did it!  We love, love, love our sweet friends!!  As I typed that last line I could hear Sean say his famous line, "Brother, I moved my family 2 states over to be with you!!!!!"

Opening gifts...

Eating Mommy's braid...

There have been very few times in my life when I have had to try harder to hold it together than I did this evening.  The postpartum hormones were raging.  It was the weekend, and we were awaiting Jack's MRI first thing Monday morning.  At this point we did not know if we would find out Monday that our baby had a tumor in his brain.  We were celebrating the first year of his life, and the whole time wondering what his sweet future held.  Would we be at the neurosurgeons office later in the week? Or, St. Jude?  It was hard to sleep, hard to eat....

 And, so much was going on all around us.  I was up with Emery at night ~ doing the newborn thing.  And, this was the weekend of the Easter Musical at our church, and Erik always plays Jesus.  The boys, all of them, were in the musical, as well.  So, we were very busy.  I just kept thinking of Ann Voskamp and being challenged to hold my hands out, palms open in acceptance of whatever God had for us.  Rest and trust.  He is always good, even if life isn't what we expect or plan or desire for it to be.

So, we celebrated our little man amidst all the unknowns.  But, do any of us know?  anything?  ever?  really?  Rest and trust, palms open, it is all we can ever do no matter our circumstance.  The celebration was sweet!  We are so thankful for Jack's sweet little life... so thankful God chose to entrust us with him.  He is a great joy to us!!  We love our Jack Jack!! :-)

And, here is Pop with Emery...