It's my birthday! or anniversary! or something!

Four years ago, actually on August 21, 2006, but I sort of forgot when that day rolled around and am just getting to it now--GuilfordRoad: IloveyouI'mcrying began. I started out just responding to everyone who asks all moms of young kids, "Are you writing down the things they say and do?" Well, no, because I was not getting any sleep and was about to go insane. But then I thought I probably should be writing it down, and my friend Jacquie said, "Oh Alice, just do a blog; no one will read it." And that's how I started, and no one did read it until one day my friend and former co-worker Melanie did (Melanie! you are my FIRST reader!), and then it just kind of snowballed from there.

Sometimes people want to know what the name means--well, Guilford Road is our location, kind of obviously. One late afternoon while Darren was still at work--back when he used to commute every day--Lucy, who was 2 1/2 at the time, was sitting at the kitchen island, coloring, and Elaine, who was 2 months, was in her swing in the dining room, roaring. You know those hours between 4 and 6 p.m. with babies? Yeah, never pleasant. Lucy was drawing a picture to put in Darren's lunch bag the next day, and she wanted to dictate a message from her for me to write on it. I did that and then asked her, "And what does Elaine want to say to Daddy?" Without pausing to consider, Lucy said (rather disgustedly), "Dear Daddy, I love you. I'm crying. Love, Smoochie."

So, there you go. That ended up kind of summing up our existence. It's kind of like a Sarah McLaughlin song I sing to the girls sometimes, "Your love is better than ice cream...your love is better than chocolate...everyone here knows how to cry!"

I've tried not to write anything that will embarrass my family, with the exception of myself. I usually fail 8 or 9 times before I succeed at something, but hey, if I can get a funny story out of it, then it's worth it. Bottom line, I just want my two precious girls to know how much their mom loves them and loves Jesus--no matter how imperfectly I do it all.

I've included a few of my posts from the past, nothing special, just snapshots of certain days over the past four years here on Guilford Road, if you feel like taking a walk down memory lane.

Seasons (2006)

MLK Day (2008)

I think this technically counts as a missions trip (2008)

An actual 18-hour timespan in the life of a mom (2008)

I don't want to work; I want to bang on the drum all day (2009)

Have we been over this? (2009)

So to my readers (I have readers! Plural!), I thank you for taking the time to read about our little life here and especially those who have commented. I wish you could all come over to Guilford Road for some tea and cake and celebrate with me.