Counting My Blessings Part Three

My Daughter, My Friend

I love how as she grows older, our relationship is evolving into a friendship as well. I know some people stress how important it is for parents to be parents, NOT a friend to their child. I agree with the logic behind that statement. But it is different with Mandi. She is such an easy child to raise that there really is no need for me to execute my authority. She has always been this way. She follows the rules, always does what is expected of her and goes out of her way to please. I have honestly never had to discipline her harshly - a gentle guidance or reminder is all she has ever needed. Linzi absolutely idolizes her big sister and their relationship is so very sweet. One of my greatest joys is watching them just hang out together and knowing that they have each other for life.

Some things that make Mandi so very special:

• Her sweet nature and compassionate heart.
• She is so intuitive to others' feelings and emotions.
• Her maturity. She is wise beyond her years in the best way. Sometimes I am amazed by the depth of our conversations and the way she intuitively understands people and situations.
  
• Her intelligence. Mandi has always been in the gifted program and a straight "A" student. She works hard and is very, very focused on getting good grades. The dynamics of our family make it difficult for us to fully acknowledge her efforts without making another feel bad. We have to tread gently and find a balance that keeps everyone's self esteem in tact. This has been one of my biggest challenges as a parent. Thankfully, Mandi understands this, another example of her maturity. In 7th grade, she has already been identified by several talent search college programs and invited to participate in various programs. She is looking at an ecology study trip to Costa Rica and a marine biology course at Duke in the Outer Banks. With her grades and these experiences, she will be golden on her college apps. At some point I am going to have to go back to work to pay for an ivy league education for this one! To say I am proud of her is an understatement! :-)
• She is a "girly" girl, but not a prissy one. There is a big difference!
• She has a sense of style and great ideas. I love shopping with her!
• She loves animals. Both of my girls are big animal lovers and this is so important to me. I am a HUGE animal person. She wants to be a marine biologist, which I think is so very cool!
  
• She is a big sister, the best one ever.
  
• She has a good head on her shoulders. I trust her completely in any situation that I feel she is old enough to handle. It's funny, when I think of my other two children going out into the world on their own, I worry and it is hard for me to imagine them so grown up. With Mandi, I don't have those worriesome feelings. I just know she will be ready when the time comes-not that I am looking forward to it. I don't!
• She is my friend. If she wasn't my daughter and my age, she is the kind of person I would admire and seek out as a friend.

I am grateful for the stability, pride and joy she brings to all of our lives. When I look back at her early childhood, there is one word that stands out. Enchanted. I was totally enchanted by her sweet nature. As she has grown, the enchantment has turned to admiration. I admire her so much. I wish I could take credit for everything that is good about her, but I can't. It's all her!

Counting My Blessings Part Two

My Son

Photo by the Pixel Fairy Princess!

My first baby love, my only son, my sunshine, my first joy!

As I have reflected on my family these past few years, one thing has become painfully clear to me. Before my husband and family, I was broken and lost. I was also a wee bit (okay, alot!) spoiled, self absorbed and totally immature. I was not in a good place, but I was so busy having fun, I didn't notice or care. Meeting my husband was the turning point but my son was the catalyst that changed me and made me a better person. It all happened the year that we got married. All within a 14 month period, my husband graduated from college, got his first job in another state, we moved away, got married, got pregnant and had a baby and moved to our first house. That's right - ALL of that within a 14 month period!!! We were married in November, and in February, we found out I was pregnant. We knew we wanted children, just not so quick! Our emotions when we found out ran the gamut, from being scared to excited and everything in between. But when he was born and I finally got to hold him 5 hours later, my heart was completely transformed. I finally knew what it was to love so completely, unconditionally and with every fiber of my being. Someone in this world mattered more to me than myself and that was a very new feeling for me. As he grew, so did I. My son has been my life's greatest teacher. And he has tested me like no other too!!! LOL

Things that make him so very special:

• His happy go lucky way of approaching life.
• His infectious smile. He smiles like a grown man now, but I still see that sun shiney smile of my little boy. :-)
  
• His pure heart. The most amazing, purest heart I have ever known.
• His desire to serve. Wherever his life leads him, I have no doubt he will serve someone, somewhere. And he will do it humbly and completely.
  
• His innate spirituality. Since he was a small boy, he has always had a very spiritual side to him. He is the one who lead me back to church. I have also witnessed many miracles in my son that doctors said to never expect. God has used my son to teach me, minister to me and through my son, God has been glorified in my life over and over again.
• He is just FUNNY and when you look at the world through his eyes, you can't help but laugh. He really does have a talent for entertaining.
  
• He loves the outdoors, camping, biking, fishing, boating, swimming, etc. These are all the things my husband loves too, so they have plenty of things to share together when they need a little male bonding time away from the rest of us girls.
  
• He is creative on so many levels. His creativity is what has helped him to deal with things that are difficult for him. His teachers love to watch how he handles some things and some have even told me that by watching him, they have a better understanding and idea of how to help other kids.
  
• He is a survivor like I have never known. I know there are big and special things in store for my son. His life hasn't always been easy, but these things have only deepened his compassion and softened his heart.

I am grateful for my son, the joy he brings to my life, the lessons he continues to teach me and the challenges that have forced us to stretch and grow as a family and as individuals. Many times I have failed him as a mother, and I continue to, no matter how hard I try to be aware of my short comings. I only hope that he knows just how deeply proud I am of him and how much I love him. I hope that he will forgive me for my weak moments and understand that I am not perfect. But my love for him is.

Counting My Blessings Part One

(once again, picture by The Pixel Fairy Princess! Thanks Debbie! It's the only current one I have of us together!)

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to post a quick little something each day this week about the most treasured blessings in my life.

I will start with my husband, who is the root of ALL my blessings! I am normally so focused on my children. I don't brag on him near enough, and sometimes, I even take for granted the fact that I have such a wonderful husband. I am truly blessed. I am living the life I always dreamed - a wife, a mom, with wonderful children, a comfortable life, nice home, fun vacations and the opportunity to follow most of my whims. My husband is the one who has made it all possible. I grew up in a divorced home as an only child. My mother did the best she could for me and I love her so much for it. But I am so grateful that my children will never know what it is like to experience divorce, or to wish for a sibling to keep them company. They have everything I didn't have as a child, which makes me so very, very happy. He has given me the family I always longed for.

I am emotional, he is the voice of reason. I can be frivolous, he is practical, and again the voice of reason! I tend to procrastinate, he is a "get it done" kind of person. He keeps me grounded. Most importantly, he is a family man. Every choice he makes, he always makes it with his family first in mind. He works hard and is successful, but not to the point of not "being there" for us. He is involved in the kids' lives, and takes time to keep up with school assignments and help with homework.

My husband is a good man with a beautiful heart. He is generous and in this economy, he knows just how lucky we are to be surviving these times mostly unscathed and with a sense of security. When we were talking about Christmas plans, he made sure that we budgeted a more significant amount than usual for charity. He said it was more important to him than ever to give when so many people are facing uncertain times. That is just the kind of man he is.

The one thing I find most endearing in my husband is the way he plays with our children. He really plays, like gets out the stuffed animals and puts on this whole silly routine. It is hilarious to watch. Linzi LOVES bedtime because she knows she gets to play with daddy. Her giggles echo throughout the house each night. The most beautiful, happy sound I have ever heard. He was like that with Alex & Mandi when they were little too. Each one has an animal or two that Eric has created a personality for. Each night, they are entertained by these animals and their crazy, stories and adventures. Seriously, Disney really needs to come to our house and listen to these stories. His talent really should be shared with all children!

He has seen the best of me AND the worst of me. And he is still here! This week we are also celebrating our 16th anniversary and he still makes my heart flutter. These are just a few reasons why I love this man so much. I am very, very lucky, I know. I love you honey!

Cheese Alert! :-) Call me corny, but I moved this song to the top of my playlist this week in honor of my hubby and our anniversary. After 16 years of marriage and 20 years in love, this song describes the way I still feel about him!

A walk in the woods with Linzi & Ally

Last week, Ally, Linzi & I took a walk in the woods. I was so inspired by everyone else's fall pictures, you know I had to have my own! Poor Ally wasn't feeling too good, but even though she felt droopy, her sweet spirit and beauty is breathtaking. Linzi was silly, as always and had a blast throwing the leaves in the air. Our little shoot only lasted about 5 minutes since it was chilly and Ally was sick, but I was pleased with what we got in such a short time.

And if you haven't already, please scroll down to my previous post. I need input! ;-) I have to make a decision in the next day or so to get everything rolling.

Here are some of Linzi's best shots. She is just so silly and has this cheesy little grin that makes it very hard to get a natural shot of her. I asked her to stop giving me the silly grin and give me some nice poses. The main pic below is what she delivered. Can we say sassy?!!!And then there is sweet, sweet Ally. This child is absolutely the sweetest child I have ever known. She really is as gentle as her little face in these pictures. How I love her! I am so lucky that her mommy shares her with me! In just a few weeks they will be welcoming Ally's newest big sister. I am so excited for her whole family!And this picture says it all. The bond that these two girls share is so special. Linzi loves Ally as much as I do. She is so much bigger than Ally in size and she is very, very protective of Ally. She always holds her hand, helps her when she can and remembers to share (that one took a little work but we got thru it!).

Which one would YOU rather do?

Photo taken by The Pixel Fairy Princess

Mandi is going to be 13 in a few weeks and I want to surprise her with a very special party. I have been planning this for a very long time. Now that the time has come, I have another idea and I am completely unsure of which one is better. Since it is a surprise, I can't just ask her. Sooo, I am asking YOU!

If you were turning 13 and the best daughter, most deserving of everything under the moon AND a HUGE Gator fan - which party would you want? I realize that both ideas are over the top, but it is a special birthday and she really does deserve it, for many reasons.

Plan A

• A night on the town with a few girlfriends (in a LIMO!!!). Maybe we will go see some Christmas lights at the lake and roast marshmallows at the end of the drive AND/OR ice skating at a little town square fully decked out for the holidays. Afterwards, we'll go back home for a sleepover and a special breakfast in the morning.

OR

Plan B

• Since it is the night of the SEC Championship games and the Gators are playing in our town, we will rent an RV, load up the friends and drive to the stadium, park it outside and have a tailgate party with the rest of the poor souls who can't afford a ticket at $321+ a pop. We can take a grill and cook out and hang out in the RV which has satellite tv or watch it outside if it is being projected (need more info on this). We checked into getting tickets, but a 4 pack of tickets is $1500!!! (ouch)
  

Personally, I would rather do the limo, but I am not as football oriented as the rest of my family. Mandi is the type of girl who will throw a football in her high heels (when she's old enough to wear them, of course!). The tailgating party would allow us to bring more people or even invite our own friends to meet us there. The limo will only allow for a very limited amount of girls - which can be a good thing too! ;-)

Remember, it is a surprise, no matter which one we do. So ssshhhh! Thankfully, she doesn't read my blog unless I show it to her!

Is this bad?!!!

Lately, Linzi is obsessed with the letters, their sounds, how to spell, writing words, etc. Every conversation, no matter what the topic, always ends up being a discussion of all the sounds of the words we are using. It is so exciting to see her little mind clicking and the light bulb is coming on. So tonight, I am completely focused on a video project and listening to the election results. I noticed Linzi flitting around on my side but didn't pay too much attention - even when she asked me to tell her again when we use the silent "e". I had no idea what she was doing until after she left the room and I reached over to the table for a little sippy and found this. Unbeknownst to me, she was walking around the room labeling several things with post it notes, including this: LOL! I sure hope she doesn't share her new spelling word with her preschool teacher tomorrow! :) Notice how she spelled it the way it sounds, then realized maybe there is a silent "e", asked me and then wrote it the right way? My funny AND smart little girl!