Beautifully and Wonderfully Made

Tomorrow I get to kiss her ...

Tomorrow her great grandma and great papa get to see her after many months. Everyone home together for Christmas ...

... I cannot wait to see her.

My beautifully and wonderfully made, perfect little descendant. Tomorrow's will come, my granddaughter will grow, and she will walk in honor and beauty. 

Who's Child Is This?

No, not "What child is this?" Who's child is this?

With GPA's holding some credibility, I guess it would be your Senior year to apply yourself to academics. I don't recognize my own child who is studying like crazy and getting A's in all her classes and a B in Math through this second grading period.

Academically bright, I know she has it in her, she has just refused to make the effort until this year.

I came home after running around to my driveway being completely shoveled. Who did this? Imagine my shock when Brooke walked out of the garage.

It needs to be said that in the fourteen years we have lived in our home, I gave up having Brooke help shovel a long time ago. We call her Noodle. Noodle arms because she doesn't have much strength, more so by choice. She would bundle up, get a few shovels of snow and beggggg to be done. She exhausted me. To have her see the need, take the initiative and not wait me out, I was confused, surprised, then wondered what she wanted. Here, she just did it. She also recruited Andy, the neighbor kid.

The garage door wasn't working, she took the initiative to figure it out. She recruited Alex.

She picked up the rest of the leaves from autumn. She recruited Alex.

[Brooke is clearly strong in leadership and delegation. I have said since she was a bossy little girl, Brooke would one day be President & CEO.]

She just seems happy.

One day she text me, "In 2018 I'm turning depressy to successy."

There have been several pieces parts that have turned the ship for her.

When she was a little girl she refused to be potty trained until a ridiculous age. I knew as her mom it would be her waking up one day and deciding to do it, but it wouldn't happen until she made the decision. That is exactly what happened. One day she woke up, made her own decision and she was forever potty trained. This was the first of many events in her life of waiting her out until she made her own decision.

It is a sigh of relief, a refreshing change and an added blessing to have her turn 18 years old happy and in a significantly better frame of mind.

Her independence and happiness = my independence and happiness.

A Snow Globe World

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ...

It looks like a snow globe world outside, picturesque and perfect. In my arms sleeping was my 17 lb. sweet & chubby granddaughter who is growing more every time I see her. Her warm little body, her baby scent, those cheeks that beg to be kissed, nestled in my arms with the snow falling outside, the glow of the Christmas tree, and my Mariah and I watching a romantic Christmas movie.

Some moments, I want time to slow down.

Sofia trying to sit up, I made a quick decision and ran to the store to buy her a seat, comfy yet more upright. There are so many new baby things nowadays and I was relieved when I found a next stage bouncy seat that sits upright versus lays back. Perfect for her to watch cartoons.

Sofia loves cartoons!

Mariah & Jeremy by choice does not have television stations in their home. At grandma's house, Sofia now has her upright bouncy seat and a large television that must feel theater-style to her.

Those brown almond-shaped eyes, those chubby cheeks, little button nose, and those sweet little wet bow-tie lips, many times I looked at her and would see her mommy as a baby.

I never knew what a gift it would be, to hold my baby's baby, her little mini-me.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas; 

Soon the bells will start,
And the thing that will make them ring is the carol that you sing
Right within your heart.

Peace, Freedom & Love

Last night was a picturesque winter wonderland and the setting perfect for a Christmas program. Even the roads being a mess thrilled me. It’s Christmas, it must be white. Play the music. Tell the story. The dance of Christmas.

The dust is settling after continous changes in my life and me still looking around recognizing and embracing little things that make me happy I never expected. I smile and feel like God is smiling down on me saying, “This is why.”

Everything that didn’t make sense, now makes perfect sense. God knew and it is as if He pulled the veil back and gave me answers to so many prayers and questions.

I get it.

My heart is happy and bright and I have new desires and new titles in this new beginning...

PEACE

FREEDOM

and

LOVE.

Sofia Goes To The Hospital

I saw the text from Jeremy first that they took Sofia to the hospital, she was sick, he shared her symptoms and said the doctor was running tests and a chest xray on her. 

Then ... I heard my Mariah's voicemail she had left trying to get a hold of me. She left a message and honestly I cannot even remember what she said, it was her voice that I remember most. She was trying to hold it together, frantically trying to get a hold of Jeremy, me, somebody. It was a new mom tone, something was really wrong and she needed guidance and quick! Sofia screaming unlike I've ever heard her in the background. Her voicemail genuinely rattled me and when I called her back immediately and got her voicemail, I could feel myself fall apart. 

Thank God I just got in the car and was heading home on my last day of training. 

Poor little Sofia has a stomach virus and a respiratory virus with multi-miserable symptoms. 

Leaning on the side of safety and caution + a sound mind + knows how to make good decisions + love = I know my daughter is completely competent and capable of making best decisions regarding Sofia.

A tired new momma who takes extraordinary care of her little girl and this [Grand]momma on the way to spend the day helping her out. I wanted to hug Mariah first because this is all so new and I know it's hard. 

Poor sweet baby, she is so justifiably miserable. 

And me, I got to spend the whole day snuggling and loving on my granddaughter and time with my Mariah.

Mariah is one smart momma! She quickly made a post on Facebook asking for prayers as she was taking Sofia to the hospital yesterday. Our sweet baby was immediately covered in prayer from many, many prayer warriors. 

This [Grand]momma is still on standby and yes, I wash poopy diapers. I don't do puke!

Stitched With Love

I cannot help but think how blessed Sofia is.

A photo came through a text, their Christmas tree is now up. I see my breathtaking and beautiful granddaughter in her daddy's arms on her 1st Christmas and I am so grateful.

Have I said how much she loves her daddy? In her eyes he hung the moon and stars! He is a wonderful daddy and I love him when he says he uses "patient hands" when it comes to Sofia.

I'm am surrounded by fabric, sequins, thread and instructions as I make Sofia's Christmas stocking. A keepsake stitched with love. I have so many hours ahead of me and there are shortcuts I could take to expedite the process, but this stocking with be with her for decades and I think of those almond-shaped, brown eyes and I want it to be perfect for her.

Southern gospel music in the air, my reader glasses on and stitching, it is a grandmother moment and I feel as if I should look much older than I do.

I'm doing this for her every Christmas when she pulls her stocking out and looks at it fondly.

10 Traits in a Future Spouse

Brooke's health teacher emailed all the parents informing us of a homework assignment that was given to the students.

Students are to list ten traits that they want in a future spouse. Then, parents are to list ten traits that we would prefer for our child's future spouse. Let me tell ya, it makes you think!

There are limitless qualities that individually are critical, but I could only choose ten.

I tapped in the five love languages to create a solid foundation of needs, then I sprinkled it with qualities that I admire and appreciate and aligns with Brooke's hearts desire.

1. God-seeking. *Not just "I'm a Christian", occasionally goes to church, and claims to know the bible but his actions speak everything otherwise. A man with his heart, priorities and life that is an actually living example and seeks God in all things.

2. A fount of words of affirmations.

3. Strong, healthy & respectful with physical touch.

4. Desires quality time and makes that a priority.

5. A willing heart and follow through with acts of service.

6. Kind. *So underrated but so important. This trickles into so many areas of life.

7. Generous. *A happy and content person pours out love through generosity even when means are little. Example: Mariah's grandmother, great-grandmother and aunt on her dad's side have very little. They have always struggled to just be able to get by in life; however, they love big. They give what they don't have lavishly and always have to the point where I want to say you don't have to give so much, please keep something for yourself. It is the way they love and honestly, it is a beautiful example. They have always lavishly given when they struggle to just live and I've seen that through the decades of how they have given to Mariah and now to Sofia.

8. Funny. *Laughter is magical and makes the heart happy and light.

9. Intellectual. *Brooke is intelligent and desires intellectual conversation. She has always done better with adults than her peers because of this. Interesting topics. She is always thinking and far older than her years. Mentally stimulate my mind and you mentally stimulate my heart.

10. May her and her future spouse learn to love each other more with each passing sunset. *To be an oasis refreshing one another and falling deeper in love with a bond growing stronger each sunset.

There are many more qualities that flood my mind, things are are really important. Traits change. What you like at 20 isn't what you'd pick at 30. The same for the 40's and I already feel that with 50 only years away.

Stability for me at 47 is critical. Not just financially stable, because life happens and the ground shakes, but mentally stable, emotionally stable, ever-present stable. I'm not interested in a dry leaf that blows in wind which ever way the wind blows. Life is already challenging, I desire a stable partner that I can depend on and feel safe with. A rock of stability. My rock.

A man secure with himself. Not a bucket full of holes that can never get filled and needs attention from anyone and everyone. You know the "selfie" type? Them.

Travel and adventure to me is critical. Like the analogy of being unequally yoked, the stronger oxen learns to slow their pace and loses strength so the weaker oxen can keep up. I want a strong partner beside me, challenging me and stimulating me, not making me lose momentum. I want to travel to places I've never been and I want to fall in love with new adventures that I never knew I'd love.

I wondered what Brooke thought of the list I gave her, then she told me she couldn't wait to show Alex. Oh, my Brookie. <3