A beautiful new bonnet

It was probably my fault, really.

As the third child in my family, I know all too well that hand-me-downs are the norm, and new, store bought items are very few and far between. Don't get me wrong, I love used clothes and frequent them. But every now and again, it's fun to know that Mom bought something JUST for me from the store. And that time, she did. A beautiful pink and yellow flowery bonnet that adorned my head as a baby, then sat in Mom's cedar chest.

Years go by and Sarah finally gets married. Then Baby Eden comes along a few years later. Out comes the beautiful old bonnet and Eden wears it till the strings fall off and I have to sew new bias on it.

Eden grew out of it after two summers, and it went into the hat box, not to be seen again until Elia, almost 5 years later. It fit perfectly on her tiny little head and she wore it all summer long.

Then came the camping trip I really wanted to take over Labor Day weekend. She wore it all weekend long (and I took some adorable pictures, my mother pointed out). Sunday afternoon, bonnet on head, she sat on the beach with Daddy while the rest of us went out on the boat for a ride.

A week later, I was still looking for the bonnet. After a spirited discussion, it was determined the the hat most likely blew out of the stroller when the pick up hit a bump hauling the boat out of the water that evening. (The baby was back at camp, eating, by this time).

Allen did his sentimental duty and drove us back to Minatare several days later to look for it along the beach, driving along the sandy shore, looking amongst the rocks and trees for a beautiful pink and yellow flowery bonnet.

Alas, it was in vain.

So, as if planned, my third child, coincidentally also a girl, gets her new 'store bought' bonnet. It arrived today, a beautiful pink gingham bonnet, lined with pink strings, all for Elia and her children to come.