This Is Why We Party

What comes before part B? Par-tay!!

No, but seriously, I have been having a little internal struggle  over Levi's upcoming second birthday.

Pause: my son is going to be two on Saturday.  SOB SOB SOB!!!

Resume.  You see, in my little circle of friends,  two year old birthdays don't call for a big party.  Whether it's that there are other children in the family or funds are tight, or that logically, parties aren't necessary for the child who can't actually name their friends, birthday parties for two year olds just don't really happen 'round here.

But yet, I want to pull out all the stops.  Oh, and Pinterest is not helping at all.

No, Levi doesn't care if we party or not.  Of course he won't remember his second birthday, the fifty balloons I've bought, or the Elmo cupcakes I'm going to make.  And I'm sure I can name a million other things to invest our money in than Sesame Street party favors.

But this is why we will party:

We celebrate a miracle - our miracle.  

We rejoice in the incredibly unique union of two families. 

We remember the hole that has been filled by a little boy who stole our hearts from the moment we saw his picture on the screen.  

We relish in God's lavish faithfulness.  

It's the perfect opportunity for birth and adoptive families to spend time together and get to know one another a little more. In fact, last year we were all still so awkward, I'm not sure if I even actually introduced Jen to our siblings, parents, and grandparents.  So this year we'll keep the party smaller, with more chance of actually getting conversation in between cake bites and pin the nose on the Elmo games.

This is not to say that parties are right for everyone, I just came to the conclusion that a big birthday party is exactly right for us and our situation, and I need to stop worrying about what everyone else is doing.

The following message from Jen perfectly sums up the importance of Levi's birthday to those who love him...

"...I received a small phone call today with a reminder of a very big day. The day my second miracle came into this world. Less than a week. Levi you may not be able to read this, but I'm so glad to have you still close in my life, and to watch you become everything I knew you would be in more. I thank God every day that I will always be a small part of what you are. To his wonderful mother and father, thank you for your seemingly endless patience and understanding, and for being the exact opposite of what I feared. I worried about what you thought of me, before I even knew what to think of you and I'm sorry for that. Two years have allowed me to see that the nights I laid awake and spoke to my tummy, making promises of more than I would be able to provide were all more than fulfilled. I love all three of you, and hope you see how much you mean in my life..."

It's time to celebrate.