Nathan was the first baby I loved. My brother is almost 9 years older than I am and he was married and starting a family before I was out of high school. Nathan was born when I was seventeen.  I can picture myself standing in my teenage bedroom bouncing, swaying and shushing him to sleep as he snuggled into my shoulder. He is sixteen, soon to be seventeen now and I wonder how the world could have changed so quickly. Lucky for me, he came to visit for a week this summer. I caught a glimpse of what my future holds with three boys of my own. I am thankful I have gotten to watch him mature and it somehow makes each stage of motherhood a little less scary because he has gone before my own.

Markus is nine-months older than my oldest son Keith. He was born just as I was getting used to the idea of the miracle of a baby in our life. Markus spent a week with us this summer too. (Not the same week as his brother) Markus was a perfect fit around here. He and all of my boys played hard from dawn till dark giggling, running and wrestling each other. I wish he could live down the street so they could play together all the time.

They didn’t get to where they are without their parents. Which is really the reason I am writing this post. Their  mama, Dayleen celebrates a birthday today. I am ALWAYS late in sending her a birthday gift. I feel awful and often blame it on the Columbus Day postal holiday but the truth is I just always want to get her the perfect gift to show her how much I truly love her and enjoy her company. So, I started early this year. Happy you, Dayleen! (Happy you is the way Keith used to tell people happy birthday when he began to talk. It stuck like glue and happy you now means happy birthday or our gift to you at the Blau haus.)

Time, treasure and talent. These are the things we are supposed to share with the world. With each other. So when her boys came to visit this summer, I photographed them. I spent most of my time enjoying them but for a few minutes I stopped time so that she can remember her boys as they are now. Stopping time. Thank goodness we have photographs to save little moments of our lives for safe keeping.