Lily is eight today! I almost can’t believe it was eight years ago today that I was about to be a mother for the first time.

I was remembering that day recently as I chatted via Skype with my dear friends, Zach and Tera who have just had their first child, all the way in Thailand. They’re currently working in Papua New Guinea and Thailand seemed to be the best place to give birth. Zach had been there when I went into labour with Lily three weeks before I expected to. As I laboured away, I commented about how disappointed I was that I didn’t have time to finish all I’d planned to do before baby came. At the time, it seemed like a big deal that I didn’t even have clean floors to come home to! I was so pleased to find swept and mopped floors when I came home from the hospital, thanks to Zach who gifted this to me as a surprise.

Zach and Tera’s baby was the same weight as Lily when she was born. Seeing their pictures, it seems impossible that she was ever so small. She grew into a very chubby baby and toddler and is now a slender and petite eight year old, looking much like I did at her age.

Here are some random Lily photos from her earlier years.

At Ryan and Gemma's weddingFort SteeleRiding the steam trainLearning by Living

Lily Baby

First thing in the morningRiding her bikeJust woke up!

For Lily’s birthday, my dad bought her a new bike! It’s a perfect fit and has gears making riding further and up hills a lot easier. Lily’s SO excited.

New BikeNew BikeNew Bike

Happy Birthday Lily!

We went out for a ride the day after we bought it and toured around Prince Rupert.

Touching the train

It was incredibly fun and we saw countless ravens and bald eagles along the way.

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Exploring Prince Rupert

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14 Responses to 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Eight!

  1. sarah says:

    she looks so girgeous and big, and exactly the same!! happy Birth day to you both! xx

  2. sarah says:

    sigh, i seem to be hitting post too quickly lately. of course she is gorgeous.

  3. greenteacher says:

    Happy birthday Lily! And happy birth-day mama too!

  4. elementsofmylife says:

    Happy birthday Lily! Have fun riding your new bike!

  5. Erin says:

    Happy birthday Lily and happy birthing day Annie xo

    So great to see some of those early photos…she has always had the same striking blue eyes that seem to go so deep within, and that amazing smile. Her intensity and love of life reminds me so much of Matthew and how he looked in the early days, too. Always beaming!

    A bike with gears is a very special milestone…way to hill climb now! Look out mama and papa, she may leave y’all behind :)

  6. Justine says:

    Beautiful girl that Lily.

  7. Dee says:

    Happy Birthday, Lily!

  8. k says:

    oh i love that last shot the best – the colours and the composition are great. happy birthday to lily! she looks thrilled to have her new bike.

  9. Sarah says:

    Happy Birthday Lily! Milestones just keep whizzing by…time and tide and all that eh?! I so love seeing your children growing up, you guys rock.
    S xx

  10. Vanessa says:

    happy birthday Lily!
    You are one of the most stylish 8 year olds I ‘know’.
    I hope it is wonderful and beautiful year~

  11. jenny says:

    Eight! Doesn’t it go by fast? It struck me the other day how much my eight year old is starting to feel like a grown up. He lingers with us at the table after dinner now, when all the others have run off… just to talk and reflect on grown up stuff. crazy! Happy birthday to Lily! And awesome bike! I’m sure you’ll share some amazing summer adventures on those wheels!

  12. Jacinda says:

    Happy birthday Lily and mama. A new bike with gears is the plan for our first born’s 8th birthday too. Beautiful photos.

  13. debra says:

    ah! happy happy birthday to you both!! my eight is soon turning nine, and while always looking forward to what new comes with another year of growing, eight was really really nice…ENJOY!!

  14. Annie says:

    xx Thanks so much friends!

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