Owen Turns 5!

Hi there! It has been a few weeks since I’ve posted so thank you for stopping by today. The big highlight since my last post is my youngest celebrated his fifth birthday! I just can’t believe it. It seems like just yesterday we brought him home from the hospital and here we are now one whole hand. Thinking back over the last five years, so much has happened since we welcomed Owen home.

The Past Five Years…

In 2019 we adjusted to becoming a family of five. It was not easy! I was in the thick of motherhood, very busy and tired a lot. There were long hard days, but so much joy and love sprinkled throughout. The best was watching the bond develop between Owen and his older brothers. We eventually found our new groove with three kids. It was truly a special year.

Covid hit right after Owen’s first birthday in 2020. That obviously impacted our lives greatly and thankfully none of us got really sick. It was not an easy year with the quarantining and virtual learning. We made it through though and spent much of our quarantine time in northern Michigan as a family unit. Our love for the area grew deeper.

In 2021, we began to feel the pull to move up north and Ryan accepted his new position late that year. Ryan and I also celebrated 10 years of marriage in Key West!

Our family made the big move to Michigan in 2022. Andrew also appeared on the big screen in Times Square which made for a pretty epic vacation. We thought our family was extending by one more, but God took our little one home when I was seven weeks pregnant. I wrote a whole post about that last year.

In 2023 we bought our first camper! We also lost our beloved dog, Nala unexpectedly. I blogged about that very difficult time in my life too. We still miss her like crazy.

Obviously, this is a brief nutshell of the past five years but looking back God has blessed our family in so many ways. Even in hardship, there are things to be grateful for and reasons to smile. I’ve learned these last five years that you can experience joy and grief at the same time. It’s about being more present during those moments of joy and keeping the faith when life gets hard.

Happy Birthday, Owen!

2024 arrived in a blink and just like that my baby is 5 years old. Mim and Papa made a trip to celebrate with us which made it extra special. Owen requested Don’s Drive In for dinner, so we headed there after school. We enjoyed delicious milkshakes, cheeseburgers, and most importantly, each other’s company:)

With full bellies, we headed home and of course Owen wanted to open presents right away. Last month I took him to Toy Harbor to get some ideas and a couple Schleich figures caught his attention. He’s been talking about them for weeks so was very excited to open them! They are exactly what I would expect Owen to pick out.

After opening presents, Owen was in no mood to party anymore. It took some coaxing to sing happy birthday to him haha! He actually walked away from the table midway during the song, little stinker! Over the attention and overly tired for sure. I still think he enjoyed the cake and had a really great day.

It is so bittersweet to see five candles on that cake. Owen is officially a big boy. I am no longer a mom of “littles”. Boy, is this a tough chapter to close! Those early years are challenging in many ways but what I would give to go back. They are so special. You are their world those first five years. This year we will enter kindergarten and Owen’s world will grow. He’ll learn so much, make new friends, discover new interests and talents. Of course, these are all wonderful things, but I can’t help but get emotional over my youngest growing up. I am sure all mothers do.

With that said, I know that just because we’re five now, we will not love our mommy any less or no longer act “little”. Two days in and I am still getting the random hugs, kisses, and “I love yous”. It comforts my heart to know he’s still my little boy who loves so easily. A little boy who is curious about the world, compassionate towards God’s creation, plays creatively with his imagination, and spreads joy to those around him. I am one lucky mama!