Happy 12th Birthday

Dearest Abby,
You are 12 today and like I say every year,"Where did the time go?" Seriously though, where did the time go.  For your first birthday, your Daddy and I took the afternoon off from work in Albuquerque and took you for your first birthday pictures.  They remain among my favorite pictures of you in your sweet red Tommy dress, in your pretty white one with the flowers and then your naked self dripping in pearls.  If I could have only kept you little.....

It has been a pleasure to watch you grow though.  Every new experience that you have is something that I get to enjoy with you and I love that.  I love how you bound through life and how difficulties don't slow you down.

This year was a hard one.  It was your first year in middle school and so many days my heart ached for you as you said over and over again, "I hate school."  Not having your friends with you for lunch and for classes and then feeling like you were being picked on was so hard.  I wanted to scoop you up and bring you home or go after the mean kids but I couldn't.  All I could do was rub your back, pray and reassure you that you were loved here at home.  We made it through.

Fall brought middle school cheerleading and if middle school was rough, middle school cheerleading was even rougher.  It was your first experience with mean girls.  I am so proud of you though for not letting them get you down, for sticking the season out and for working so hard.  For your efforts you got two first place trophies!! The smile on your face was worth it all (although the orthopedic bill from the separated shoulder because your fly couldn't quite get it down was a bit expensive).

Winter brought Color Guard and "Oh My!"  While we loved the concept, we were not fond of the practices, the coach and the team mom.  I don't think we  will be forgetting the Pink Robots very soon.

Boys entered the picture a bit more this past year.  Fifth grade at Lewis was spent liking one sweet boy Liam but sixth grade was a revolving door of boys you liked and then didn't like.  We did a group fun night with two of the boys from your class and watched Hunter spend all of his money trying to win you something and then you walking over to the claw Machine and trying twice and winning a stuffed animal almost as big as you.  Talk about hurting a boys ego.

I have watched you grow and mature this year and I am so proud of you.  You have volunteered for nursery in church and I have watched your relationship with God grow.  I hope that you will always stay close to Him and know that He is your everything.

I am trying not feel sad as I am watching my little girl grow up and while there still is that small part of you that is a little girl,  I know it won't be long until I can't see her anymore.

I love you so much Tink!   You were my first and you made me a Mama.

Love,

Mama

The Faces of My Girl Over the Years

Happy 14th Birthday Destiny

Dear Destiny,

You are 14 years old today. Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday that this tiny 8 year old girl walked into our life and forever changed it. I know that things are not always easy for you and I know you think that we are hard on you (and we are) but what you may not know is how much we love you. We want the best for you, not just now but for the rest of your life.

This year was a pivotal one in your life. You found a sport that you love and that you excelled in, cross country. You may not know it but I cried as I watched you cross the finish line in 8th place in your very first race. The look on your face was priceless. You have been blessed with wonderful coaches who have really worked with you this season and have cared about your development as a runner and as a person. You finished 8th in the Cobb County Middle School Championships!!

You were also diagnosed with Type I diabetes this year. A simple Dr's visit turned into a three day hospital stay and a whole new way of life. Suprisingly enough, you have adjusted well. Within two days you were giving your own injections, sticking your finer, counting carbs and keeping your log. I know it hasn't been easy but you have handled it far better than I ever could have imagined.

You are growing into a beautiful young lady and it scares Uncle Bud and I. The young man from down the street, Duncan, is enamored with you and it's easy to see why. I don't think you have any idea how beautiful you are.

Thankfully you are still my jeans and t-shirt girl with no makeup. Not sure what we are going to do when all that changes. Maybe lock you in the closet for the next five years or so?

We celebrated your birthday at On the Border with the best friends that we have, the Hockman's, Eady's, Harris's, Drowns and Peterson's. You got embarrassed being the center of attention but at the same time loved every minute of it.

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl. We love you.

New clothing

Jeff and Michelle

Tony and Tracy

Cortni and James

Abby, Savannah, and Destiny

Maddie Grace

Abby posing as usual

The Harris and Eady boys

Bob and Laurie

Your turquoise and brown cake

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you

They misunderstood and put 17 candles on your cake. Your not there quite yet!!

Loving the new family tradition of the birthday hat.

Cortni told you if you were going to wear the hat, you had to "own" the hat and wear it with style!

Happy Birthday!

The years Bud and I have been together have been filled with high high's and low low's but I can't imagine anyone else that I would rather have by my side.

Together we have built an incredible family. I look at all of them and my heart swells. We may not have everything that other's have but what we have is priceless. We have each other!

Happy Birthday to my best friend! I love you.

Update- Bud and I, coming from divorced families, haven't had handed down to us those special traditions that families generally have. We have created our own over the years. I found this hat in a store while I was in Branson, Missouri and Bud was the first to wear it in our new tradition. Birthday person has to wear the birthday hat! But they don't have to wear it in public.

Magical Day

She cried as I tucked her into bed tonight. She cried because her special day was over and it had gone by too quickly and she didn't get to spend the day with me and her list went on and on. At first listen, she might have sounded spoiled but she was crying because today was a magical day for her, the day that she turned 10 and she wanted it to last forever.

She wasn't excited about the presents or the cards or the money (not that she didn't like them mind you). She was excited about taking cupcakes to the kids at camp for the last day of camp and playing water games and having dinner with good friends and snuggling and watching a movie tonight. Her face glowed all day and her smile made me smile.

She is somewhere between a little girl and young lady right now. One moment she is fixing her hair and fussing over her clothes and the next she is rolling down a hill and getting covered in grass. How I wish that I could freeze this time and enjoy my little girl for a just a little bit longer. Just yesterday she was learning to toddle. I can still see here opening presents at her first birthday party and now....now she has boys calling the house for her.

I love her so much that sometimes I think my heart will burst. I love that infectious smile and that giggle that makes everyone else around her laugh too. I love her heart. She forgives easily, doesn't hold grudges (unlike her mom) and makes friends everywhere she goes. I love that nothing stops her from singing and worshipping and loving God. She doesn't care if you think she is cool she knows she is cool.

I watch her sleep tonight after the tears have finished and I pray that coming year will go slowly that we will savor every moment of her being 10. I pray that God blesses her and keeps her.

Happy 10th Birthday Monkme! Mommy and Daddy love you so much.

Abby, Carmella, and Emma at Blue Mtn. Christian Retreat 2010

Happy 13th Birthday Destiny

Destiny turned thirteen today. I realized the other night that she was growing up very quickly. She isn't a little girl but she isn't quite grown either. Caught somewhere in the middle between playgrounds and dolls and makeup and boys.

I found a picture of her last night from the year that she came to live with us. I can't believe how tiny she was. I don't think we saw how little she was because we had a one year old and a four year old and she seemed huge compared to them. When she came we thought she would be with us for four months, five years later and she is till here and very much a part of our family. Her cards this year said, "To our sister" and "To our daughter". Not to take anything away from her other family but she has become our family.

Her birthday was a bit quieter this year than last. The girls spent the morning finishing up chores and then spent all afternoon playing the Wii and hanging out together. We celebrated as a family and went to dinner and then came home to cake and ice cream and presents.

Birthday Girl!!

Makeup? You're going to let me wear makeup?

Lone Dawg fan in a house of Jackets

Her favorite color blue

Making her wish!!

Happy 12th Birthday Destiny!

Destiny turned 12 on Friday, She is "almost a teenager" as she likes to say. It is hard to believe that four years have passed since she came to our family. Some days I don't think she has grown at all but when I look at pictures of her back then it is easy to see how much she has grown.

She invited three friends over to go to dinner and spend the night. We took all six girls out to a Japanese Steakhouse (a family favorite) where they enjoyed the chef cooking on the grill in front of them. The meal ended with a sumo wrestler headpiece on her head and a rousing version of Happy Birthday. We came home and the girls painted picture frames before heading to bed about 11:00. I count myself fortunate because all the girls were asleep before midnight (although they were up before 6 am the next morning). We had homemade waffles for breakfast and then they played for several hours before all were safely delivered back to their parents. All in all a rousing success!! Favorite gifts included a new cross, clothing, gift cards, a knot quilt and a messenger bag. Her big present was the 4th and 5th grade retreat for our church in January.

We have struggled the past four years as we went from a family of four to a family of five but Destiny has truly been a blessing to us and we are so thankful that she is ours.

The whole group at dinner

Destiny in her Sumo hat

"Fire"

Destiny, Abby and Savanna

The girls

Friends

Being silly

Opening gifts

Destiny and her sisters

Happy Birthday!

Happy 39th Birthday to my wonderful husband.  I wish that you were here with us today instead of spending the day at work but we can't wait to see you tonight.  We love you.

Love,

Boo, Abs, Mads and Des