Jessica is a teen-ager. . .

You came into the world in the wee hours of the morning 10 days late and full of drama, sort of like you are now. I know that you have been waiting to be a teenager for years now, but for me it's still too soon. You have the drama, you have the flair, you definitely have the attitude, but when I look at you I see my little girl, my baby girl and I think I always will. You were a surprise in the fact that you were a Jessica and not a Matthew. I was so convinced that you were a boy and everyone but your Aunt Joy agreed with me, that when you were finally born I asked the doctor if he was sure you were a girl. Now you are becoming a beautiful young lady.

I have always been amazed by you. You are brave and confident in ways I could only dream of being. You have always been the one to go out and make friends, first thing you do anywhere new we go. You are the one who is ready to put on a show and sing a song for the people around you. You are the one who is the one who greets the new kids at church and makes them feel at home. You are the one who all the neighborhood children flock too. You make me proud each and every day. You make me smile and I see so much potential in you, so many people are watching to see just what you will become.

Treasure the gift of your voice that God has given you. The very first time I felt you move was when your dad and I were at a worship conference and the band played an upbeat version of Amazing Grace and you must have started dancing. After that if I ever wanted you to move all I had to do was put music on or sing amazing grace. After you were born you would refuse to go to sleep unless we sang Amazing Grace to you----all 4 verses. You sang before you talked, you would sit in your crib singing away for 1/2 hour before you would call for us to come and get you. I would keep the monitor on just to hear you, I've always loved your voice. Every time you sing, people tell me how beautiful your voice is and how blessed they felt hearing you sing. It is really a gift from God, and He shines through you when you sing, the music is your passion is a reflection of that.

Did you know that you are also really really smart. I know that you don't think you are, but you really are. You've always been so far ahead in how you think and how far ahead you think. You were never a cranky child, but you got bored so easily that sometimes it was hard to keep you entertained. You didn't really play with toys as much as you figured out how they worked and then that was that. I still remember when you were 18 months old and I had bought you a Po doll that would make noise when you squeezed her belly. I had put you down for your nap and then I heard Po making noise again and again and again. I thought I should sneak in and move Po because I assumed that you must be rolling on her. When I walked in you were wide awake sitting with Po, her back unzipped and the the insides pulled out where you had the sound box in your hand squeezing it together again and again to make it go. After that day, Po did not hold the same fascination for you. Your like your dad that way, and he loves it.

I especially love how you love your brother and sisters, you are so good with them and they all love you and look up to you so much. I know that you sometimes get frustrated by them but you still are so patient and kind and gentle(most of the time) and it makes me so very proud.

I won't say that this year will be easy, sometimes even though you are looking forward to something like being a teenager it ends up being harder than you expected. It's a year that will bring change, some exciting and some scary but remember that the best is yet to come. No matter how hard it might seem, or how sometimes your heart might hurt, remember you have two people in your corner that love you so much and will always be here for you. You can talk to us anytime, cry at us anytime, and we will always be here to listen and walk you through.

You came to us at a time when there was sorrow and you brought us so much joy and you bring others so much joy that take time yourself to enjoy all that the year brings to you. Don't try to grow up too fast, just take your time, take it all in, breathe and laugh. I love you my dearest girl, I love you with every piece of my being. Let Jesus guide your heart and your mind, trust Him at every turn and He will give you the desires of your heart, because He loves you even more than I do.

Elizabeth is eight !!!!!

I still remember that early Sunday morning that you arrived, a small tiny cry, a small tiny girl. We were all so worried through the night, I remember that I didn't get any sleep but instead prayed all night that you would make it through. We already knew you, knew you were a girl, knew your name, I had been talking to you for almost nine straight months. Prayed into the world by Jessica, prayed into that morning by me, prayed over within hours by your grandpa. When you finally decided to move you moved quickly, and when the nurse said "here look at your girl" and I looked at you and my cry was "oh baby girl" and you immediately turned your head and stopped crying to look for me. That at that first second of life you already knew my voice is one of my favorite memories, and of you there are many. That you would only sleep in my arms for two weeks, that if I was in the room your dad could not feed you it had to be me, that you used to look up at me with one eye closed. Those late night feedings where I was trying not to engage you so that you would simply eat and then go right back to sleep, and you'd stop slurping so I thought, "oh she's done" I'd look down and you would be wide awake staring at me and then you'd smile with that one dimple and the milk would run out of your mouth, and I couldn't help but smile back, coo at you and cuddle you close, even if it meant you didn't get back to sleep right away. I remember how you used to "river-dance" in your excersaucer, and you had that strange language "cooie" meant thank-you and how that worked I don't know. You burst into laughter for the first time and the longest time at something Jessica did. You always have looked up to her and wanted to be just like her in everything. Your fear of large stuffed animals that we used to keep you away from stairs, your endearing love of Candice and dressing up with her to get your picture taken.
Now you are a real pro at posing. To see you grow, how strong you've become from that tiny girl we were all worried about, to see how much love you give to all those around you, your younger sister and your younger brother, to see you grow, to hear your laugh. You are so precious to me dearest Elizabeth. Thank-you for blessing me with your life, and thank-you for hanging on with me that night. My prayer for you this year is that you will keep growing and developing and finding Jesus. That you will let Him guide you and keep you safe, that you will make even more friends and discover what your passions are. I pray that you will continue to grow in your relationship with Jessica, Frances and Christopher. That you will continue to see yourself as your dad's precious princess, that you will continue to come to me with your cares, your hopes and your dreams. I will keep praying for you always just like that night, and I will do my best to protect you and encourage you and be the best mom I can be for you. Remember you are my Angel.

Joy. . .

Let the rain fall down on me
Let it cleanse me from within
Let it take my heart and lead me to the place
Where I dance before my king

Let the rain fall all around and soak me to my core
I look up into your sky
with bright eyes and wait,
yes I will wait for more.