The 30 yr Old Angel

Each year on my birthday, there was always one thing that I could always count on...that one of these porcelain little ladies above would be neatly boxed up and wrapped just waiting for me to open. As I got older, as soon as I laid eyes on that one present...the perfectly wrapped box that each year got bigger and bigger, I knew exactly what was waiting inside. Quite honestly, I was always much more concerned with whatever else lay inside all of the other boxes....and most years, she was opened last with a sigh, after all of my other birthday present options had been thoroughly exhausted.

But over all of those years, after all of those presents, the angels are the ones I now treasure the most. I have 22 of these angels!! She starts as a new baby and goes to 21...each year she's posing differently, holding tight to something new and growing. The pics above don't show her size difference, but each year she gets bigger and bigger...just like the young recipient. A few years ago, my mom boxed all my girls up and handed them over and when Anna was born, I started our own tradition.

When I came home from the hospital after Anna was born, I dug out my "new baby" angel, the first of the set, and displayed her in Anna's room. And when Anna turned 1, together we put the "new baby" angel back in the box and found the "1" angel, took her upstairs and found her a nice little home in Anna's room. And just a couple months ago when Anna turned 3, together we took the "2" angel down to the box and found the "3" angel. She was so delighted and loved her new "3" angel...just one more affirmation that she's now a big girl!! I did the exact same when Josie was born, found my "new baby" angel and so on.

Can you believe that I recently saw my angels for purchase in my favorite ridiculously overpriced on-line/catalog baby boutique? I pulled the pics above straight off the website!! They are the exact same!!! My mother must have purchased my "1" angel 30 years ago...and the "1" angel you can buy at Chasing Fireflies right HERE is the EXACT same little lady. But, I love that the ones in my girls' rooms were actually mine, and then given to Anna and then to Josie. Thanks mom for such a priceless tradition.