and my heart says AHHHHH. . .

The house is quiet now. Everything has been put back in it's place, blinds drawn, garbage tied up in bags, laundry running and gifts stacked in piles. The chalk, ice cream and soda have been hosed off the patio and all that remains are pools of water that settled from the washing. The plastic chairs are stacked, the wading pool emptied and the toys rest, once again, in their designated bins. Ella and Thomas sleep peacefully in their rooms. Chad put Ella to bed while I took a walk with some friends. I can almost guarantee that she is still wearing an ice cream mustache and that there is sticky Miracle Bubble residue on her arms, legs, neck, and hair from the Bubble Wand she received and emptied within a matter of 20 minutes. Chad is eagerly reading the latest released story of a wizard and I am reflecting on a great day. My oldest daughter is 2. She is amazing, and she is loved. We had 26 people here tonight to help us celebrate her life. I love having people in our home, kids running around being loud and rowdy,people talking, eating, laughing- enjoying one another. It makes me feel good, like I am doing what I should be with my time. I ordered pizza and had ice cream sandwiches instead of cake. We didn't do games or anything organized for that matter. We grazed on food all night, watched Ella open her gifts, sang Happy Birthday and ate ice cream sandwiches. I celebrated a precious little life today with people I love and care about, and it filled me with joy. This has been a good day.