No Promping Required

Lauren and I have been reading a book called The Sign of the Beaver for history.  I didn't realize how much she was enjoying it until a few days ago when a Native American village began to take shape in our yard.
Jacob helped her to make a bow and some arrows from some small branches.  She also fashioned a spear and began collecting wood for a fire and another tepee.
She asked me to bring my camera outside and take photos of her. I certainly wasn't going to say no.

I love it when my children make learning an adventure.
Lauren now has a tarp around her tepee, a fire pit, another tepee under construction, and all the amenities she may need as she acts this time in history out.

Linked up with Melissa for Friday Photo Journal at Serendipity is Sweet.

When She Reads I Get Giddy

I've known since she was an infant that she was slightly behind.  She didn't smile for a long time or even respond when we talked to her.  Help was suggested.
We took it.
After a year she graduated out of the program.
She was smiling and responding, beginning to communicate.

At age five, when I began teaching her the sounds of the alphabet I knew that there was a possibility of her having dyslexia like her brother.  But, as we progressed through the year I could tell that her difficulties were not from dyslexia.  It seemed to be more of a maturity and readiness issue.

She is now in fourth grade and our patience and perseverance have paid off.

Two weeks ago I found her reading a book!  She had asked me earlier in the week to pull some books off of our school library shelves that she would be able to read.

Then when I saw her sitting and reading and enjoying, my heart did a fist pump!

I was giddy! Overjoyed! On cloud nine!  I was all the cliches of happiness.

In the Summer Breeze

The wind blows briskly. You adjust and pin your wet, fresh from the washer, sheets.  The scent of soap mixed with hot summer swirls around us as you make yourself a little hideaway.

The perfection and beauty of the scene playing out before me slams my heart into my throat.  Words get swept away with the breeze and all I can do is capture this moment.

 

You Dance

You step, you twirl.  You glide and you dance. You move across the floor of life and another year floats by.

 

I hold you close these days.  Take every opportunity to snuggle.  I breathe in deep the scent of you, burying my face in your hair or wiggling my nose into your neck until you erupt into giggles.  I know these moments are fleeting.  Before long you won’t be sitting in my lap, asking for more snuggles.
It makes me laugh to think about it, but just a few months ago I quit picking up.  I just couldn’t let go of holding you on my hip. 

And yet you aren’t spoiled. You don’t act like a baby.  You are just completely loved and you know it!

 

You are my girl!  I look at you sometimes and I am astounded by your beauty.  It takes my breath away and tears jump to my eyes.  What a precious gift you are to me! 

You have a heart for Jesus and others.  Whenever you hear of someone in need you want to help.  You are willing to give of your time and money to help ease their discomfort or misfortune.  Jesus is going to use that compassion in big ways.  He has amazing plans for you!  He is going to use you to touch the lives of hundreds, even thousands.  You will use the boldness He has given you to share the love of Jesus and His magnificent gift of salvation with every one you meet.

As we journey through this ninth year together.  I am excited to see the Lord working in your life.  He loves you!  You are His daughter, His princess.  Hold your head high because you have an amazing, powerful Daddy who cares for you far beyond what you could ever think or imagine.

Lauren,  I love you!  Those three words cannot even begin to encompass the emotions that bubble within me when I say them.  You bring me such joy and laughter.  Life would not be the same without you to brighten my days.  I love to listen to you throughout the day.  When you are playing, you sing, you dialogue and your little voice fills the air with a beautiful sweetness. 

These days are precious to me, you are precious to me!

You have my heart baby girl… completely!

Momma loves you to the moon and back 100 trillion times!

Spring Sweetness~

 

Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows. ~ Helen Keller

 

 

 

 

Melt My Heart

 

 

My Little Miss,

How you steal my heart!  One glance with those bright blue eyes and dimpled smile and I melt.  What a joy you are to me.  Your vibrancy and love for all things brightens our home daily.  Every day we are blessed by seeing your imagination bloom.  There are babies in strollers, babies in beds, babies getting their diapers changed.  There is a restaurant to be run, menus to be drawn, food to be made, orders to be filled, and dishes to be washed.  There are myriads of pictures drawn for each member of our family, full of color, bright, bold, and creative. You talk to the worms and the ants and the butterflies carrying on conversations that soften my heart and make me giggle all at the same time.  You are amazing!

 

 

Another year has flown swiftly by and we again celebrated the day God place you in our family.  What joy there was when finally you were laid in my arms, our little girl.  I thank God for you every single day.  I love that you continue to snuggle into my arms.  It’s tradition! Each morning I know that I am going to blessed by having your sweet little girl body, warm from bed, wrapped in my arms.  I bury my nose into your hair and just breathe, if only I could capture that scent!

 

 

 

For the past couple of years you have asked for a little sister.  I have tried gently to explain the unlikeliness of that happening many times and lately you have seemed to accept the idea.  You have compensated like only you can.  Each morning you pick out your outfit and then march down the hall to my closet.  You sweetly proceed to tell me what I will be wearing today, because after all we are “twins”!

 

 

My prayer for you my sweet girl is that above all else you will love the Lord with all of your heart.  I pray that God will be above all else for you.  May you choose to give your heart wholly to Him and serve Him with all that is within you.  I know that your heart is big and the love you have for all things mighty, may the Lord use your overflowing compassion to touch other people’s lives with His Love.

 

 

Lord, I place my daughter in your hands. Mold her into your image. Shape her young life to glorify you. You, Lord, are her Savior and I pray that she will live solely for You!

 

 

My forever girl, words cannot adequately express my love for you, but know that it is huge and that I I LOVE being your mommy!

Ballerina

 

 

Texture Tuesday: kk_3003: multiply @ 46%; kk_marabella: soft light @75%

 

Little Miss’ ballet recital was on Saturday.  Oh, what smiles I saw that day! She was in her element.  She never said anything about being nervous. She never even looked nervous.  She knew her dance routine backward and forward.  I’m pretty sure she couldn’t wait to get out on that stage and twirl! I’m thinking she gets her boldness from her daddy!

 

 

 

 

 

What sweetness to see her all dressed up and bubbling with so much anticipation.  She definitely looked like a little princess, in her polka dotted tutu.  And then you throw in all those sparkly sequins and what little girl wouldn’t be delighted?

 

 

 

 

This girl is serious about her dancing. In class she is super attentive and ready to try anything that her teacher asks of her.  You can see by the look in her eyes that she loves to dance.  She is already looking forward to next year.   I’m pretty sure we are in ballet for the long haul!

 

 

 

During the recital there was no flash photography allowed.  So I bumped up my ISO to 500 and was shooting at around 20s (hand held).  With all the moving going up on stage it was a bit difficult to get any good shots, but I just kept clicking away and I was happy to get a few good ones! So happy I attempted it even though I didn’t think I would be able to capture too much.