Happy Birthday little Milo

Choosing a photograph for today was difficult, I took so many & had so many smiles.
It's was Milo's 1st birthday & christening today & I felt humbled & happy to be there.
I also felt the pain for Alex & his inability to attend. His absence was felt by everyone including myself. It felt strange not having him beside me & to share the day with.
Ferguson & I met at Barry & Rebecca's & drove to collect the girls. It was lovely to see their excited faces & lots of hugs were shared. Yes, I did feel a heavy lump in my throat.
We drove to the church, singing, chatting & laughing & catching up on what we'd missed with each other. I suggested a sing loud contest in church which saw full participation! Carol singing followed after the service ended & we headed to the party.
Milo was a charming little host & wooed everyone with his lovely big eyes.
All 4 kids played brill together, in between my making sure they were supplied with food & drink, Rebecca chatted me around to various relatives not spoken to since Zoe & Nicks wedding.
Everyone was asking about Alex & I didn't lie when I told them how much I was & had been missing him.
I shared lots of pictures with the much loved missing family member.
He & I managed a fleeting chat at Zoe's over Facetime later in the afternoon, & despite Ferguson declaring his love for Alex to me over breakfast, he got all shy when it came to saying hello.
It was good to see & hear Alex's voice and my heart raced.
Saying goodbye to everyone was sad, not knowing what the future holds. A lingering farewell to Barry & Rebecca also pulled me inside & I hope in my heart of hearts to be able to see them again some day.