Summer Lovin’ – Recipe: Fruit Roll-Ups

My Summer has a zest for life like I have never seen before.  She is energetic, happy, full of absolute joy and love.  She completed our little family of five.  When Summer was a baby, I remember telling my sister that just holding her brought me absolute peace.

So, needless to say, I have held her and held and held her.  I have carried her so much that people at school comment on how her legs will be dragging the ground soon.

Sometimes it would seem as if we are connected, literally.  When we are at home, and she looks up and notices that I am not in the room, I hear a panicked, “Momma!  Mommy!  Where are you?”

All of this to say that today was a really huge day for my Summer Lovin’.  My little girl went to dance school.

And, she loved it!  When I picked her up, she asked when she could go back….just as I predicted that she would.

My heart is full of joy mixed with a touch of sadness tonight.  I am so proud of my baby girl.  Yet, I am very aware of how quickly the time passes.  It really does not seem like that long ago when I was telling my sister that just holding Summer brought me absolute peace.

I was reminded of that very moment again this morning when Summer crawled into my arms, scared to leave me.  I told her how, at one time, she fit perfectly in my arms.  So, she tried to squish up her legs to be as small as she was when she was a baby.  It brought a smile to my face as I fought back the tears, determined to be strong for my little girl.

Yes, she is growing more and more each day.  But, as much as I loved and cherished every moment of their infancy, I equally love and cherish every moment of the stages that they are at right now.

People often ask us how we are so aware of how quickly the time passes; how we are so mindful of each precious moment.  Well, I am not sure if this is the correct answer or not.  But, I think that it has something to do with knowing how sick Ethan was at one point, of holding our breath each time we would get new test results.  We know that life is precious, that our children are the reason that we live and breathe.

So, if I hold them a little longer than normal, that is why.  We will continue to cherish their childhood, knowing that days, like today, take them one stop closer to that next stage of development, a stage where they might not crawl into my arms so that I can remove their latest and greatest fears.

But, just so they know…my arms will always be open.

I could not let this special day come and go without a special treat for my special ballerina princess girl.  After reading the blog post on Our Best Bites yesterday, I truly thought that they posted their new recipe just for me – something naturally gluten and dairy free, something befitting a little girl on her first day of dance school.

Enjoy!