And Today is a New Day!

I told you today would be different. It is a day for celebrating. Well, I know one precious child that is really celebrating. Bless her heart she is sooooooooooo excited to be in the "double digit" field. I didn't have the heart to tell her that will be where she is the rest of her life. No more single digits and from now on it is a count"up" so to speak. The teenage years are just around the corner......then you go for the 20's and the "OH my goodness I hit 30" and then..well, you know how it goes.

Today Makaley is 10. Yep. I remember waking Kelly up and saying........"I hate this pain. Take me to the hospital. NOW!!" Then I remember thinking "What part of NOW did you not understand" as he is in the shower. Remember.............he had delivered calves so this was no big hurry.

In her room is a precious gift from some friends at church. "For this child I prayed". Makaley is one that was prayed into this world. As her mother, I can promise you she will be a trooper, a survivor, a giver (and a taker) and a servant for the Lord. I was 32 when I married Kelly. We waited two years to try to get pregnant. God once again allowed us struggles to make us stronger. I was pregnant at 38 with Makaley. We had spent a couple of years "enjoying" trying to get pregnant. Then we spent over a year trying to get pregnant with the help of medication and doctors. Let me say...........Kelly was a "good" sport. My favorite moment was when he woke me at 2:30AM to give me "the shot" because it had to be at that exact time. Of course he had me lean up against the saddle rack that was in our room (yes, he slept with the saddle in the room) and proceeded to inject the medicine. HOWEVER.........the needle was dull; we only had one....so he goes to the truck and gets one of the needles he had planned to use on his horse!!!! After months of driving to Lubbock at all hours, after seeing the family with 7 babies at one birthing, and after literally "flushing" money, we had decided to adopt.

Girls.........you know this next feeling. You come home and there are roses, dinner prepared and he tells you "I got a big raise" or you open your Christmas present, and it is a diamond tennis bracelet. Okay, so that only happens in TV. But, you know the very "unexpected" gift that you receive once in a blue moon? That was Makaley. I was to have surgery on a Wed. and had to take a Pee test on Tues. morning. And.........there it was. The sign that says 1 + 1 = 3.

So....Makaley.....Happy Birthday. I know this about you:

#1........You are a gift. I made sure you had a bow on your head the minute they would let me put one there. You are the best gift a woman could ask for. God blessed me with a precious little girl first. You bring joy to our family and you are a dedicated friend to your buddies.

#2......You are a trooper, a survivor. We were given a life changing experience.....you and me together. Thank you for keeping us laughing through the tough times. Thank you for helping me get Kauy into this world(you can stop bossing him now though). Thank you for knowing God and trusting Him when you were so young. And.........thank you for understanding that Daddy lives in your heart even though he is not in our house. You are so "us".

#3......You have the heart I long for. You see this world in ways I don't. You believe in things I have forgotten to believe in. You have sympathy for those who need just that. You worry about those who don't know God and have even cried for them. You can't stand for anything or anyone to hurt....ever. You still have the heart of a child. Don't loose that!!! You will grow boobs and other things. You will wear braces on your teeth, get some zits (other than the one you had last month)......You will be leaving those childhood years soon, have "boyfriends", mean friends, temptations, failures and success, but God says for us to "Be as little children"...........trusting, loving, believing and needing the Father.

Happy Birthday my little 10 year old. I love you!!!!!