A Decade Of Being A Mommy!!

S turned the big 10 on June 9th. We have always had a big birthday party with all of the girls in her school class. Being home schooled changes your friends and so we took a different approach this year. We invited just a few girls and went to the Pembina Valley Provincial Park for hiking and a picnic lunch. We have beautiful weather and had lots of fun!

It was a very good thing that we chose a very short loop which included the creek bottom because they spent most of the morning walking on the rocks in the creek. It was so relaxing to watch them have fun and play with different settings on my camera. I have a very nice camera which I only know how to use on the automatic setting so it is time to start playing with it. The girls played and chatted while I sat on my own rock fiddling with settings and buttons which I know nothing about. It was peaceful! Most birthday parties are anything but peaceful but I may have enjoyed myself more than the girls did!

We ate on the deck over looking the valley and sang Happy Birthday as loud as we could to let everyone in the Valley know that it was S's Birthday!

Great friends, in God's beautiful creation constituted a splendid morning!

Beyond the party for me was remembering S's birth and becoming a Mom and evaluating how I am doing as a Mom to my oldest child. She has paved the way for her parents and the siblings that came after her. She is a take charge kind of gal and I think of all our kids she is best suited to our guinea pig parenting. She is strong in personality, a leader in the bulk of situations she finds herself in. In fact she has a hard time not leading when it is time to step back and let others shine! I think if I had to write a book about raising S I would name it after a class taught at our church "The Making of a Leader." I so often ask the Lord to step in and fill the gaps of my disjointed parenting! I long for her to passionately follow the Lord and go to him with problems and as Him and listen for the answer.
I love you Sunshine! You are funny, Witty and you can out organize me any day! I love the young woman you are becoming! May you continue to become the fearless, loving, passionate woman that God created you to be!
Love,
Your Mom