She Is Growing Up

It is hard to believe that almost 6 years have gone by since my little angel baby, (that is what I used to call her when she was an infant), Jenni came into our lives. In one month she will be 6 years old and today she came to a major milestone in her life.......she lost her first baby tooth!

She was very excited a month ago when she realized that her tooth was getting loose. She actually has 4 teeth that felt a little loose, her two top and two bottom. As this one tooth on the bottom got more and more loose, we discovered that her big tooth was coming in behind her baby tooth. So we began to wiggle that tooth to get it out of there. The funny thing about teeth is that when one is coming in behind the other it stops it from being loose as it grows in. So we had to work "hard". I would take her tooth and wiggle it as she and I counted to 10. We would stop and she would wiggle it to see if it got easier to wiggle. Today when she got up I told her she might as well just go get her an apple. Her brothers have lost a lot of teeth that way.

She got a green apple out of the fridge and started working on that tooth. Sure enough, there it came! She was so excited!! She had the tooth in her hand but still asked me "did it come out?" She had to show Daddy when he walked in the door. And all she can think about it telling Bro. Bobby (our pastor) about it because he gives kids $1 when they lose a tooth. So that will be the first person she finds tonight when we get to church.

Congratulations my lil angel baby! You are on your way to becoming a young woman. I know the time will pass faster than I could imagine. You already are asking me daily about asking Jesus into your heart and about baptism. I know that is a scary thing for someone who doesn't like to sing in church with her choir group. But I know when the time is right God will be there to help you feel strong in the face of that fear. I love you so much! Mommy

Thanks for letting me share my joys of childhood growth as I watch my last baby go from a little girl to a big girl. She has been pretty big in a lot of ways but still has some things that are younger about her. As she takes all these new steps I am happy and yet a little sad. She is such a joy to me and everyone she is around.

Until next time...blessings to you.

Thankful Thursday

I love to do the Thankful Thursday's because it really gives me a time to sit down and think about all the wonderful things the Lord has blessed me with. Even the things that seem so small are such huge blessings in our lives.

I am thankful that I have security in the Lord Jesus Christ for my eternal salvation in Heaven with Him and that He is here with me each moment of each day to help me through all the challenging things that come my way. And with four children those challenges come quite often.

I am thankful for the Godly husband the Lord gave me and for the direction He is leading him in right now. I think it is so exciting to see him entering the seminary and ready to see where that will take him on his Christian walk and as he seeks to reach others for Christ.

I am thankful for Sami and how I see her growing into a competent young woman on her own and how she has overcome so many things that could have left her weak but she is allowing God to make her strong through them.

I am thankful for Nick and his music gift that God has given him. He can sit down and play very hard things on the piano after hearing them and printing off the sheet music. He is working on developing his singing abilities and has picked up a new instrument, the bass guitar (which his dad plays as well) and has already learned a very difficult song in a week. He is trying out for the youth worship band this weekend and I am excited to see what God is going to do with him and his music!

I am thankful for JC and his loving heart. He is a climber and loves to play games and do science experiments. He is getting so tall and more handsome every day. I know I am going to have some girl problems when he gets older!

I am thankful for Jenni, my last "baby". She is such a sweet and beautiful little girl, inside and out. She loves to wear pretty clothes and fix her hair. She loves to wear jewelry and lip gloss and dresses. Her favorite shoes are her black boots! She is always ready to climb into my lap or her dads for hugs.

I am thankful for the church family we are a part of and the wonderful summer music day camp the kids are attending there this week. It is a blessing to have that and to have had this family for over 20 years. What a blessing.

I am thankful for Mission Arlington, the mission we work through. I am thankful for the children and families we reach through them in our apartment ministry on Sunday mornings. Our group has grown so much that we even have a room full of youth. God is good to provide who we are to reach when we are willing to do the work.

I am thankful for the home we live in and the room we have in it. It is an older house and yes, I would much rather have a house in Colorado but I know we will in time.

I am thankful for my home based business, my daycare, and the children and families that are a part of it. The daycare allows me to be home for my family and do the things I need to do. The children bring joy to my heart as I teach them and love them. My children have learned so much helping with them and they love them as much as I do. The friendships I have made with the parents is priceless!

I am thankful for the new van we purchased this year so that I would have enough room to get places with all the many children the Lord has provided through the daycare. We have enjoyed taking it on trips!

I am thankful that the Lord is providing new kids for the daycare to help speed up the pay off of debt that we so desire to do. We want to be in His Will in all things and debt free is a big one. We know that will free us up to serve Him in whatever way or place he has planned for us.

I am thankful for the dream that the Lord has placed on our hearts to move to Colorado and the land He provided to do it on. I am so excited to see what blessings the Lord will bestow once we get there because I know His blessings are much more than we can ever imagine on our own.

I know this list could be even bigger but I have to get on with my day sometime. May you receive a blessing today!

Until next time...blessings to you.