My 21st Birthday

Today, August 12, I turn 21. My heart is heavy because I'm missing my girl, but I am so blessed by my dear friends and family. So thankful I got to celebrate with my best friend, cousins, mom, grandmother, and siblings :) Jill is also on my heart because her twins, Emma and Chase, are having their 1st birthday in Heaven today. 

We have had the amazing gift of housesitting and dogsitting for a couple that owns a B&B at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia (most beautiful place on earth, in my opinion) for the last several years. This year, we are here for my birthday! I woke up to fresh mountain air, birds chirping, and pure beauty and peacefulness surrounding me.

Birthday breakfast! Bumma's famous mocoa cocoa and omelette, Mission Home pumpkin bread and flowers from my mom :)

Birthday balloons and presents :)

We ate lunch at my favorite restaurant in Crozet, Teresa's Cafe! Their chicken salad sandwich is the BEST! They even gave me a free dessert. :)

We went to go visit "our friend-the tree." He is HUGE!

It's so strange to think of what other 21 year olds are doing to celebrate their 21st birthday, while I visit my daughter's grave...

We had a party in the evening for friends and family. That was nice. At the end of my birthday, we layed on our backs and star-gazed. The sky is so dark and beautiful in Virginia where we're from. Overall, it was a peaceful, lovely day. But, the thoughts of what could have and should have been didn't escape me. We bought a dress for my girl to wear to celebrate her mama's big 21st! We had planned on being at the beach for the day with a friend of ours we met at the LifeCare Pregnancy Center. She was due with her daughter less than two months after me. But, now she has her daughter here, happy and healthy...and I don't. But, obviously what was planned will never be. I just wish my girl was full of LIFE on this day, here to celebrate my life.