Happy Happy Birthday From All of us to You, We Wish it was Our Birthday, so We could Party too!

Tonight as I write this, there are 5 twelve year old girls upstairs celebrating the birthday of my first born.

I'm sure you can imagine the sounds: laughter, squeals, whispers, and an occasional thud thud thud as they run down the stairs to get more soda and chocolate.

As I think back over the last 12 years, I am astounded. This little bundle who forced me to grow up so much has flourished into a beautiful young lady. She shines from the inside out. She loves life, and all the twists and turns it takes. She adapts like no one I have ever seen before. She has become accustomed to having two phases of friendship: the active, present phase, which occurs when we live somewhere, and the keeping up with friends far away phase, which occurs when we or they move away, which invariably always happens, living the military lifestyle. She cries, like every girl is entitled to do, but picks herself up and keeps going.

Madi is our little smarty pants. She is a grade ahead in school (apparently the entire 7th grade had a party today to celebrate the fact that there is no one who is 11 years old anymore in their grade level) and is at the top of her class. She strives to do her best work, and will go out of her way to make sure she has good grades. She is very hard on herself and as long as we can keep that in check, I believe this trait will serve her well in life.

Madi is a lover of learning. She still realizes she doesn't know all there is to know, and is ready to listen to advice from her parents, whether the topic is friends, boys, health, school, or work. She has learned a valuable lesson that I did not learn until I was in my 20's, and we have strived to help her learn humility. I believe a great deal has gotten through, and for that I am truly thankful.

Madi is a true friend. She is loyal to the end, and is an excellent judge of character. I do not hear horror stories as some do about their daughter's friends trashing their reputation, or getting into petty fights. I think the life experience the Army has brought to Madi is that life is too short to spend it bickering and being petty, and that we are all basically the same, and just want love and acceptance from others. And that is what Madi brings to her relationships. The freedom to be yourself without fear of judgment or condemnation.

Madi has also begun working daily as a pet sitter. We live in an ideal community for her to be able to do this after school, and she gets paid! It gives her life lessons a-plenty: responsibility (being available daily), money management, and very introductory business skills as she deals with the pet owners.

I worried so many of Madi's early years if we would be able to give this precious girl all she deserved in life, all we wanted to give her. Namely, a relationship with Jesus, loving married parents, a great education (both scholarly and worldly), a safe, loving, beautiful home...I was afraid we would not see some of these things until she was in high school or beyond, and yet here we are. Wise beyond her years, sweet as sugar, with a laugh that is infectious.

Happy 12th Birthday, Little One. I love you and am thankful you are in my life to love as much as I do, to the moon, stars, and back again.