A Blogoversary Celebration!! :D

Hello, my dearest readers!  Today is a very special day.  I can hardly believe that two years ago today I launched this blog, and that right around three years ago I started contributing to Tess and Maggie's blog.  The time has flown by so quickly, and so much has changed!

I have so much to share with all of you about what's been going on over the past few weeks, but I wanted to take the time to celebrate this special occasion. :)

To commemorate my accomplishment, Beast'sbelle insisted on a photo shoot (you know how she is). ;)  She gathered my friends and we all got together to take some pictures.  I hope you enjoy these shots of the faces you've come to know and love over the past few years. :)

Here we all are, gathered together for a group photo.  Of course, there are many missing from our midst who have moved on over the years: Tiana, Isabella, and more.  This is our core group now. :}

Rapunzel was very sweet and let me borrow her super fancy dress since it was such a special occasion.  I don't think she's actually worn it other than that one day.  It is pretty stiff and itchy, so I can't say that I blame her.  I couldn't wait to get it off after the pictures were done. ;)

Eugene and Rapunzel with their sweet little family.  Well...I guess their family's not so little, but you know what I mean. ;)  Rapunzel was getting pretty frazzled trying to keep four kids sitting still for pictures (any moms out there will be able to sympathize). ;)  Oh, and you'll notice that even Pascal made an appearance. :)

Here is Ben, the doll I thought I should be with for all my days.  Funny how things change. ;)  I really hate to show you these pictures when I'm not caught up on things...talk about major spoilers!!  As you can probably tell from the pics, though, Ben and Paige are quite serious, both in personality and in their relationship.  (Hee hee...I just couldn't resist!) ;)

They're so cute together!  I promise I'll give you the whole story soon!! ;)

Here I am with the two most important dolls in my life. ;) 

Eugene and Rapunzel got to pose for a nice couple picture, too.

Thomas agreed to keep an eye on his younger sisters while they did so.

He's such a good older brother! ;)

And of course, Rapunzel and I needed a picture together.  She's been such a dear friend to me throughout all of the crazy events of the past few years.  

I honestly don't know what I'd do without her friendship. :)

Beast'sbelle thought we should get a mother/daughter picture, too.  :)

The men of Belle's Bulletins. ;)

So, as most of you should know by now, Belle's Bulletins is drawing to a close.  I've already gone into my reasons in an earlier post, so I won't repeat them here.  The blog will continue for at least a couple more weeks (more on that in a moment).  While it will be strange to stop sharing everything important that happens here on the blog, I know I'm making the right choice.  It's time for me to move on and spend more time with my family and friends and less time stressing over blog posts. :}  I plan on continuing to update my Facebook page every once in a while, so you'll be able to check out what I'm up to over there.  And for those of you who have expressed concern over this, I will keep my blog open so that everyone can continue to read my past posts. :)

Now on to something fun. :)  Per one of my readers' suggestions, we are going to do something very special here at Belle's Bulletins to go out with a bang, so to speak. ;)  Two weeks from today, I will publish an interview post with questions from our readers.  Several of my friends have agreed to be part of a special Belle's Bulletins Panel.  You, my readers, can ask any (appropriate, of course) question of any of the dolls participating!  Here are the participants:

-Belle (me!) ;)

-Robby

-Emilie

-Eugene

-Rapunzel

-Ben

To ask a question, simply leave it in the comments below.  In two weeks, we'll put up the post with all of our answers. :)

If you happen to have a question for someone not included in the panel list, go ahead and leave it in the comments and tell us who the question is for.  I'll do my best to get an answer for you. ;)

I had originally planned to give a big, heartfelt thank you speech now, but I find I'm not quite ready.  I think I'll save it for my very last post instead. :}

I'll talk to you again soon, dearest readers.  I can't wait to see the questions you leave for us! :)

P.S.  I almost forgot!  Since I'm putting up a special blogoversary header, I wanted to include my old header here:

Rapunzel's New Family Members

Okay, more backlog to clear. :}  Let's see, we're up to mid-May.  

I briefly introduced you to Rapunzel and Eugene's new family members in my last post.  Shortly after Lily found her new home, my friend came over to let us formally meet their children.  

You'll also remember that I mentioned our new "room"?  You'll see pictures of it in this post.  I'm trying not to get too attached, since Beast'sbelle is so very fond of rearranging and often does so at a moment's notice. For now, though, Robby, Emilie and I are enjoying our little shelf.  It's snug and comfy and just right for the three of us. :)  Beast'sbelle even put up some white Christmas lights to make the room a little brighter. 

But back to the story. ;)  Eugene and Rapunzel arrived slightly later than the arranged time, but with four children to get ready you can hardly blame them. ;)  I was so happy to see my friend.  She'd been very busy adjusting to the changes and we hadn't spoken in nearly a week.

Emilie sat in Robby's lap at first, a little shy of the new children.  She seemed especially shy of Thomas.  She sat "safely" with her father and stroked her puppy Toto's fur.  (I mentioned her puppy in my last post as well, didn't I?  He's named Toto after the dog in "The Wizard of Oz" since he looks so much like him.) :)

Interestingly enough, Thomas seemed rather shy himself.  He stood behind Eugene almost the entire time and didn't speak a word.

He was so cute with his little buzz cut and his miniature tuxedo.  I had to resist the urge to rush over and give him a hug. ;)  I doubt he would have appreciated it, especially coming from a complete stranger. :}

After a while, though, I forgot everything else and focused on catching up with my best friend.  

"So, how have you been?" I asked her.

She laughed.  "Well, it's certainly been an adjustment going from two kids to four, but we're making it."

I looked at the two children she juggled in her lap and noticed the adorable way that Becca was making Emma laugh.

"Have you managed to get any sleep?" I asked.

"Surprisingly, yes!" Rapunzel replied.  "The younger two are already pretty established in their sleep routines, and Thomas and Becca haven't had any problems."  She giggled.  "I guess that's the good thing about starting with the younger ones and going to older children after that.  Our first few nights with Thomas and Becca were so much easier than our first few nights with the younger ones, especially Emma!"

"Oh, I remember!" I agreed, thinking back to how fussy Emma had been when she first arrived.

"Another great thing is my new LIV body," Rapunzel added.  "My arm and wrist joints are much more suited to holding children now."

I didn't quite know what to say.  The whole body swap thing was still a rather surreal subject to me.  It didn't bother me as much as it had in the beginning, but I still didn't like to think about it.  Especially since I couldn't help but wonder if someday that might be what the future held for me.  I was glad that my friend seemed to have reconciled herself to it, though.

We moved on to other topics that would be boring to relate to you word-for-word.  Things like what type of schedule Rapunzel had the children on (I always felt rather guilty when we discussed this...aside from a scheduled bedtime, Emilie was pretty free of structure.), how busy they were all the time, and how warm the weather had been lately.

All too soon, it was time for them to leave.  Rapunzel had warned me ahead of time that the first visit would be a short one.  She wanted to give Becca and especially Thomas, who was painfully shy, some time to get used to things before they spent a lot of time with others.  I understood, but still couldn't help the sadness that washed over me as my friend started gathering her family.  I'd gotten spoiled spending so much time on the same shelf with Rapunzel and Eugene.  I didn't like being separated from them.  Of course, the privacy was nice, but I felt so disconnected from them.

Robby, being the gentleman that he is, stood up as they left.  Emilie stood in front of him, still clinging to Toto.  She didn't wave, but did smile for "Uncle Eugene and Aunt Rapunzel". 

As they stood at the threshold, waving goodbye, I took the opportunity to admire how adorable they looked as a little family unit.  Rapunzel cuddled Becca and Emma in her arms.  Abby was snuggled up like a little papoose in Eugene's satchel.  Thomas was giving us a shy little wave.

I loved the way Eugene had his arm protectively on Thomas' shoulder.  As they turned to go, Thomas looked up at him.  He must have smiled, for Eugene's chest swelled up and he beamed with pride.  It was fun to see him so endearing with his son.  I hoped that everything would work out for Thomas and Becca to stay with them forever.  I wasn't looking forward to the heartache they would face if the children found other homes like Lily had.

A giggling noise from Becca interrupted my thoughts.  She was squirming all around, trying to escape Rapunzel's grasp.

"See you in a week?" Rapunzel asked as she hoisted the slippery Becca up on her hip again.

I nodded.  Rapunzel and Eugene had agreed to watch Emilie for our anniversary so that Robby and I could celebrate, just the two of us.  (I know, it's absolutely horrible that it's taken me this long to post about it!  Our anniversary was Saturday, May 25th, for those of you who don't remember.  And I TOLD myself I was going to be organized and get it on here shortly after, or do some sort of lovely mushy post for Robby.  Sigh.)

(Oh, and since I didn't feel horrid enough, when Beast'sbelle read this, she reminded me that I had forgotten to mention Rapunzel and Eugene's second anniversary on February 21st entirely.  Thanks, Beast'sbelle.  I needed some lemon juice for my paper cut.) :{

Right before she left, Rapunzel gave me a special smile over Becca's head.  I knew my friend must be missing our late night chats and our former closeness as well.  I suppose that's the way things go, though.  Human or doll, we all have different seasons of our life that pass and change to something else.  

I almost laughed at my dramatic thoughts.  It wasn't like I would never see Rapunzel again.  She was just across the room.  How Robby would have teased me if he had known. :}

Thinking of Robby made me look up at my handsome husband of almost one year.  I couldn't believe how quickly the time had passed.  I was so grateful for his love and the way he treasured Emilie and me.

As I watched him wave to our friends, I wondered if he would ever want more children than just Emilie.  Since we'd started the parenthood thing so much earlier than we'd planned, I hadn't given it much thought.  It was enough of a change just getting used to one child.  I couldn't imagine adding any more...definitely not three more like Rapunzel and Eugene!  Still, I supposed if we wanted to find a sibling for Emilie, we should think about it soon.  We didn't want her getting too spoiled as an only child.  

The thought of adding to our family suddenly overwhelmed me, and I pushed it aside.  I got to my feet to check Beast'sbelle's alarm clock.  It should be nearly time for Emilie to get to bed.

"Mommy?" Emilie was suddenly beside me.  I smiled.  I never tired of hearing her call me that.

"Yes, sweetie?" I responded.

"Is it bedtime yet, or do I have a few minutes to play?" She looked up at me with hopeful eyes.

I glanced over at the alarm clock.  Technically it was bedtime, but surely a few minutes of playtime wouldn't kill her.  I caught Robby's eye and he gave me a little smile.  We were both such softies.

"You may play for just five minutes," I told her.

"Thank you, Mommy!" she said happily.  She plopped down in front of the dresser and cuddled with Toto, singing him a sweet little made-up song.    

I always found myself fascinated with Emilie's lovely little voice.  She sounded like an angel.  It was Emilie who should have been the Disney princess doll, not me.

My husband was suddenly beside me.  "Hello, wife of mine," he said playfully.

"Hello, husband of mine," I retorted with a grin.  Then I grew serious.  "Can you believe it's already been almost one year since we've been married?"  

He smiled tenderly.  "It's flown by, but I've loved every minute."

"Every minute?" I teased him.  "Even when I've been unbearable?"

He pretended to think this over.  "Okay, I suppose I've loved almost every minute."

I swatted at him playfully, and he took me in his arms and kissed me.

I pulled away, giggling in embarrassment.  "Robby, Emilie is right there," I reminded him with a whisper.

His lips found my cheek.  "She'll get over it," he whispered humorously.  "It's nothing she hasn't seen from us before."

He took my hand.  "So, do you have any plans for next Saturday?"

I grinned again.  "Why?  Did you have something in mind?"

He took a deep breath as if he was nervous.  "Well, I was kind of wondering if you wanted to go out with me."  His eyes flickered playfully, betraying his true feelings.

I gave a nonchalant yawn.  "I'll have to check my calendar," I said casually.

He ducked his head, hiding a smile.  "I hope you can fit me in.  I'd really, really like to spend some time with you."

Then his hand had cupped my chin, and all signs of teasing were gone.  There was a fire in his eyes that I hadn't seen in a long time.  "I wish today was Saturday," he confided in a warm voice.

I couldn't resist.  "Um, it is Saturday, dearest," I said innocently.

He smiled half a smile and shook his head at my little joke.  "I meant next Saturday, which I think you knew."

I kissed his nose.  "I did," I admitted with a grin.  "I just couldn't resist being bratty."

He rolled his eyes.  "Tell me about it."

I slapped his shoulder indignantly.  "Excuse me?"

"Ow," he whined, rubbing his shoulder.  "What's with the spousal abuse?"

"Har, har," I said dryly.  

And then we both stopped our ridiculous banter.  Robby wrapped his arms around me and I leaned my head against his shoulder, where it felt just right.  I drank in the unique smell of his plastic (much better than that cologne stuff that human men use).  This was where I belonged.  I was so excited that our anniversary was so soon...and I couldn't wait to share the rest of my life with this doll.  Suddenly, I wanted nothing more than to be alone with him.

Now that I thought about it, next Saturday did seem awfully far away. :}

What's New?

Okay, I think I just need to stop apologizing or commenting about how long I've kept you waiting  every time I post.  By now, you've all come to expect me to take forever between posts. :{

So, you're probably wondering what's been going on in my life in the month since you've heard from me. :}  I have more detailed posts planned, but the short version is that we've just been busy with parenting and the everyday events of life.  To give you a slight preview, though, Robby and I have a new "room" that may or may not be permanent, Rapunzel and Eugene now have four children (two of them are here temporarily), Emilie got a puppy, Robby and I celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary, and Ben met someone new.  But that's all I can share about that for now...you'll have to keep checking back to get more details. ;)

In my previous posts I mentioned that Faith and I had scheduled a Friday playdate for our daughters.  We ended up going through with that plan on Friday, April 26th (goodness, it is horrible how far behind I am...but oops...I said I wouldn't keep saying that). ;)  To keep things simple, we decided to meet on Beast'sbelle's bed since it was centrally located and easily accessible.

Right at the scheduled time, Faith arrived their with her two daughters, Beth and her youngest.  Emilie's replacement, I thought to myself, though I cringed at how crude the phrase sounded.  For just a moment, I imagined Emilie standing there instead of this new little one.  This would have been my reality if not for Faith's generous sacrifice.

At that moment, Faith and I locked eyes, and from the look I found there, I knew she was thinking the same thing.

Meanwhile, the girls, oblivious to the intensity of our thoughts, promptly introduced themselves and sat down to play, chattering as if they'd known each other all along.

Beth seemed thrilled to see Emilie again, but there was no trace of sadness in her voice as she proudly introduced "my new little sister, Sara".  

There was nothing for Faith and I to do except sit down.

As you can imagine, the first few moments together were pure torture.  While we had made a connection over our common grief, the whole situation was awkward and uncomfortable.  I was desperate to know how Faith was coping, to make sure that she was okay, but I was worried that it might not be proper for me to ask since I was the one that had ended up with Emilie.

Faith must have been going through a similar struggle.  She was just as silent as I was and fiddled with the material on her dress nervously.

Finally, I could stand it no longer.  "How are you?" I blurted out in a rush.

She seemed startled by my sudden comment, but let out a long breath as if she was relieved that I had finally been the one to begin our conversation.  "I'm fine, thank you," she responded in her quiet voice.  "And you?"

"I'm fine too," I answered casually, feeling like I shouldn't respond too happily, as if I was rubbing in the fact that I had ended up with the child meant for her.

Faith nodded and turned to watch our children playing.

Oh, why on earth did I agree to this? I thought miserably.  I hated silences in conversations more than anything, and often found myself babbling just to fill them.  But that was the one thing I didn't want to do in this case.

I took a cue from Faith and looked over to where the girls were talking up a storm, blissfully unaware of the misery of their mothers.

I could just catch what Beth was saying...something about "my little sister Sara" again.  "Sara can count to 100, and she loves to sing, and I think you two should be friends," Beth told Emilie excitedly.  

I was relieved that at least Beth seemed to have recovered from the whole ordeal.  She looked ready to burst with pride as she listed Sara's good points. 

Emilie showed no sign of jealousy at being so easily replaced in Beth's affections.  Her eyes were wide as she listened to Sara's accomplishments.  "Wow, I can only count to 87," she responded seriously.

I couldn't help chuckling at this, and heard Faith laughing quietly.  I casually glanced over at her and found her looking shyly over at me.

"This is horribly awkward, isn't it?' she said with a smile.  

I laughed more from relief than anything else.  "Incredibly awkward," I agreed, feeling like I could finally relax now that we'd both admitted it.  "I didn't want to offend or hurt you...I was so worried I say things the wrong way or make things worse."

Faith looked down at her lap and fingered a loose thread on her skirt.  "Belle, when I said I was fine, I meant it."  She looked wistfully over at our girls.  "A part of me will always miss Emilie, but Sara is just as precious."  A smile touched her lips.  "And I know that Emilie belongs with you and Robby."

I impulsively grasped her hand in mine.  "I'm so glad to hear that," I told her, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders.  "I...I hoped you didn't regret your decision."

Faith shook her head, smiling gently.  "No," she said.  "I know what I did was the best thing for Emilie.  It was horrible and hard, but I have no regrets."

And with that comment, at last the barrier had been broken.  We moved back on the bed so we could lean against one of Beast'sbelle's decorative pillows and then talked as if we'd been friends for years.  We were just two moms sharing the joys and frustrations of parenting, without being hindered by the pain and loss of the past.  It would always be a part of our history, but if anything, it would bring us closer.  I feel I gained another true friend that day.

And speaking of friends, Sara and Emilie grew so close that first day that they nearly cried when we told them it was time to go.  They've written each other weekly since then, and we've had numerous playdates since that first one in April.  So two special friendships were formed. :)

I suppose I have enough time for one more quick update.

In early May, Beast'sbelle informed Rapunzel that she had three children that were ready for a temporary home.  Eugene and Rapunzel talked it over again and then agreed to take care of them.  Rapunzel had been overflowing with confidence and excitement when the subject initially came up, but when I saw her the night before the children were scheduled to arrive, she was suddenly doubting herself.

I had just put Emilie "to bed", for lack of a better term.  (We don't actually have a bed for her, so she just snuggles up next to Robby or her rabbit Posy and goes to sleep for the night.)  Robby had sent me off to take a walk and have some time to myself, but just as I started past Beast'sbelle's bookshelf, Rapunzel came to meet me.  I could instantly tell from her tense expression that something was wrong.

"Rapunzel, what is it?" I asked her, worry instantly gripping me.  My friend was so even-keeled that I knew it must be something serious.  

She regarded me with serious green eyes.  "I think I may have bitten off a bit more than I can chew," she admitted.

"You mean with the extra children?" I questioned, feeling a bit guilty that the first thing I wanted to say was I told you so.

Rapunzel nodded miserably.  "What we're doing just suddenly hit me.  What if we're not ready?  We've done all right with Abby and Emma, but these children are older.  Beast'sbelle said that the boy is the model of an eleven year old."  She adjusted her new LIV fingers (I'm still trying to get used to them) and then pulled part of her braid around so she could play with it nervously.  "What on earth am I going to do with a boy that size?"

[Side note here:  You might be wondering about Rapunzel's wording about the boy.  Dolls don't really age like humans do, so sometimes when we talk about doll children, we say that they're the "model" of whatever age they're molded to look like.  This boy was obviously supposed to look like he was about eleven years old, even though he could be anywhere from three to forty in reality. :} I know, it's confusing.  Be thankful for your human simplicity.]

It was rather ironic that I was suddenly the level-headed one.  It didn't happen often in our relationship, but I was always rather caught off guard when it did. I was quiet for a moment, trying to figure out what I could say that would help.  The only comments that came to mind were not helpful, things like "What were you thinking?" or "I was worried about this, you know".  Then I felt ashamed of myself.  I didn't need to be so negative.  Besides, I believed in my friend and admired her for her tender heart.  Why should I discourage her from doing something she had felt was the right thing to do?  And suddenly, I knew just what to say.

"You and Eugene talked about this, right?  I remember you telling me that you both felt it was the right thing to do...a way you could help doll children who needed love and kindness."

Rapunzel nodded, releasing her braid again.

"And it's just temporary," I reminded her.  "If it gets too hard, you can tell Beast'sbelle.  She'll understand.  This isn't forever."

My friend looked down at her hands, her cheeks turning pink.  "You're right, of course.  I don't know why I got myself so worked up." 

"Because it's a big commitment and you care about doing things the right way," I pointed out.  I took her hand.  "I'm sure you'll be great at this."

A smile that seemed a mile wide spread across my gentle friend's features.  She pulled me into a quick hug.  "Thanks, Belle.  A pep talk from you was just what I needed."

I grinned.  "Just returning the favor for all the times you've had one for me."

She laughed as she pulled away.  "What are friends for?"  A glance at the clock on Beast'sbelle's shelf caused her face to pinch up again.  "You should get going...I've wasted enough of your walking time."

"Do you want to come with me?" I asked her.  "It is your last night of freedom," I teased.

"Freedom?" she teased back, pretending to be offended.  "Let me have you watch the girls for a night and tell me how 'free' I am."

She glanced at the clock one more time, hesitating.  "Let me go check with Eugene and see how the girls are doing.  If he has everything under control, I'll join you."

I nodded, hoping that she could get away.  It had been too long since we'd had the chance to talk without interruption.  I missed my friend.

Within moments, she was back, a bright smile on her face.  "I'm free!" she announced.

We hurried off on our walk before our husbands or children could call us back. ;)

The very next morning, Beast'sbelle brought Eugene and Rapunzel three more children.  Then she took a family photo of them (you know how she is about pictures):

You'll recognize Abby and Emma. (Rapunzel and Eugene finally decided to shorten their names.  "Abigail and Emmaline" was becoming quite a mouthful.) ;)  The tall young lad you see holding Abby is Thomas, the cute little one with plastic hair next to Emma is Lily, and the adorable blonde in the purple dress is Rebecca, Becca for short.

As it turns out, it's a good thing Beast'sbelle took this photo, because just a week later Lily found another home.  So now Rapunzel and Eugene are down to four kids.  They seem to be adjusting really well.  Thomas is a complete sweetheart and a big helper.  He loves helping take care of the girls, and he is completely enamored with Eugene.  I'm not sure how my friends will do if Thomas and Becca find new homes as well.  I don't think I could ever be a temporary parent, especially after my experience with Emilie, but I know there are some who can do it.  I guess time will tell how it works out for Rapunzel and Eugene.

I'd love to update you on the rest, but I really must get to bed.  I'll not make any promises this time around about how soon I'll have my next post up, but know that I'll come back and share more as soon as I can.  Until next time, good night, dear readers. :)