Faithfully Fit: .....party time.....

....there is nothing better than having 5 friends, plus your little sister join your for a mani/pedi party to celebrate the fabulous age of four......

....our spa belles are learning at a young age that being pampered is quite the treat......

....and that lounging and being waited on is also a luxury that calls for a good book, the right amount of appetizers, a soft chair and quality time to chat with best friends......

.....and Brody loves his time with the ladies.....all of my Momma friends took turns passing him around and he ate it up......

.....and with two older sisters, this will be a way of life for him for the next two decades.....

.....and he doesn't seem to mind it at all.....

.....I love that our home, our building, our hallways are constantly buzzing with friends and festivities.....it's the main thing I will miss on the sad day when we eventually move out of the city......the fall is a spectacular time for parties because Elsie is one of several neighbors who also celebrate their special day this time of year.....all of the children genuinely cheer on one another when it's their turn for recognition.....each of them delights in seeing their friends commemorate the ritual of celebrating the day they entered this world.....

....and when the kids get to celebrate, the Mommas get some time to catch up too.....

.....that's the thing about friendship regardless of age.....the children relish the parties and countdown days until the big events.....they thrive on figuring out the next time they will have their time together, what kind of cake it might be, what activity they may embark upon at the next party.....what they will talk about during their playtime.....and in our home, what we will wear is certainly a hot topic.......

.....but we Mommas.....we too also look forward to the get togethers.....because we love watching our children play together; but we also value our conversations, heed advice, exchange stories and appreciate the time we can chat while the kids have their own social time......

....good friends, special events and the the joy of anticipation are introduced and at a young age and I hope my children continue to place value on celebration as they grow older.....because no matter what the occasion, we get one chance at this life of ours and we need to toast, recognize, honor, acknowledge, and revel in the things that happen once a year, once in a lifetime or accomplishments that took hard work and focus.....

.....and celebration always bonds us to others and relationships are the core of everything......