Growing up...

Victoria's birthday was yesterday.  I took the day off because she had asked to have a sleepover with a few of her friends.  She was so excited and I must say - so was I.  She has made a couple of good friends this summer and they are all on the cheering squad together.  The girls like to practice their cheers, hang out, walk to the park - you know all the fun things that we did when we were their age. 

Honestly, I was really looking forward to yesterday because instead of thinking about the anniversary of my mother-in-laws death (which happens to also be on Victoria's birthday) I was able to keep busy with 4 girls and a birthday party.  I purposefully did not even put anything on Facebook about it being 8 years since she passed away.  I didn't want to think about - but to only concentrate on Victoria.

The day was beautiful and we spent a few hours at the pool and then off to cheer practice.  We finished up the evening with cupcakes at the fire station with Daddy. :)  She was happy and exhausted all at once that evening.  As I was putting her to bed we were talking about her uncle - who happened to be at the ER last night - and she said, "he is not having a good birthday today".  I wasn't sure what she meant because his birthday is mid August.  So I corrected her, and immediately she disagreed.  I asked her why she thought his birthday was the same as her.  She said quickly, "because that is what the tattoo says on his arm". 

Oh my, this is not the conversation I wanted to have with Victoria as her birthday was ending.  I told her what the tattoo meant and that on August 1st, her second birthday, was when her Grandma went to heaven.  She was devastated.  I held her and we both cried for a long time.  She has always known that Grandma died in a motorcycle accident, but she has never asked specifics.  Well last night that changed, and as I sat and answered all the questions she asked I didn't see a little girl.  I saw something more mature, something in her eyes that changed.  It was a bonding time that I will never forget between the two of us. 

I am SO blessed to have Victoria as my daughter.  She is such a beautiful girl inside and outside.  The past 10 years have gone by so quickly.  Victoria will graduate from high school when she is 17 years old - that is only SEVEN more years till she moves off to college....I pray that we are as then as we are now.