Sweet Sweets Turns 8

{I wrote most of this Wednesday night but am not posting it until Thursday night}

In just a couple of hours, my "Sweet Sweets" Maddie Mae, turns EIGHT. And, she's been letting me take more pictures of late. So thankful for that.

EIGHT. How is that possible?

Here's a glimpse into who you are as you finish your 7th year and walk into eiGhT-yEaRS oLD.

You are way into silly bands. {And this I don't understand but I just nod and said, "Cool, sweetie. Very cool."}

You continue to have a passion for helping other people.

Why just today you said, "I think for my birthday I'd like to sponsor another child so we can help two kids in Africa." THAT is so rewarding as a parent. I told you how proud I was that for your birthday you wanted to GIVE back. I commended you for not being greedy. For not being so wrapped up in yourself and just wanting toys. And then in a soft voice you said, "Well, I do kinda want some toys for my birthday, too." I assured you that was 100% normal and that did not mean you were greedy. And it was okay to want some toys for your birthday.

You are developing your sense of humour. Silly seems to be prevalent.

And I love silly. {Except when it gets too very loud. That's sometimes hard to handle.}

You have a strong personality and I love that about you. That will carry you far in life. You know what you want. You know what you do not want. And you work hard to get it!

You really don't care to be around your brother. This makes me sad but I'm beginning to think it's probably relatively normal. This is something I pray about often, that in time, your love for him would be deep. That you would have the type of friendship and admiration for Jackson that I have for my brother, your Uncle Lenny.

{And wouldn't you know, that I wrote the above paragraph last night, and this morning, the actual morning of your birthday, the two of you are getting along beautifully. And for hours. I do believe the Lord knew I needed that. I really have been so discouraged about that. Here's proof that you're getting along. }

You love to make gifts and give gifts. Always. Just this week you received a $3 gift card from Half Priced Books for reading and instead of buying yourself a gift you bought 6 bookmarks to give to your family members at Rock Lake. I love that all on your own you knew you wanted to give a gift and you knew you had to plan ahead in order to make that happen. You've already said that next week you will use that $3 gift card to buy the remaining book marks needed so that everyone gets a gift.

You got a snorkel, mask and fins from Grandpa and Gobbie and you love using them.

You love the water. You're jumping off the swim deck of the pontoon boat now. You're enjoying tubing and zip-sledding. You are swimming like a fish, even in the deep water without a life-jacket. You look so adorable in your swimsuits. Too cute.

You are just crazy about horses.

That's why we did a 'horse' theme for your 8th birthday parties.

And, you got to ride a horse for your family birthday party up at the lake. You loved that.

You are SO creative. Still. And always. I mean, you can see things in a blank piece of paper; you just cut and tape and voila, you've made a butterfly door-hanger that's so pretty. Or handles for a bucket to just pretty-it-up a touch. You just see a shape or the potential in something.

You are crazy about stuffed animals. You love Webkinz.

You are a recycler ... a GREEN girl. I mean, you are constantly saying, "Mommy, bring the recycle bags with us so you don't have to use plastic. Plastic is SO bad." And just today, when the news told us they might finally have the oil spill in the gulf under control you said, "That's great. What has taken them so long." And I think you have some Indonesian in you because you are bent on ripping napkins in half so we don't 'waste' them. So they last longer.

You still sleep with your blanket - your soft yellow blanket that you've had for as long as I can remember. I love that. Reminds me that you are, still, only young.

You are an avid reader. You're reading Nancy Drew and have been for a long time now. You are re-reading Box Car Children books because you love mystery stories. You love your Bible and the last two weeks have daily gotten it out and led devotion time for Jackson and I. I've loved that. You're taking initiative. I secretly wonder if you were challenged to do this through VBS? I love our VBS.

You are inquisitive. Just today we went by a convent and you asked what it was and we had a nice discussion about convents and nuns and priests and Catholicism. You love to learn and you want to know.

You're a water drinker. All day. Every day. You still call pop "spicy" and while you like juice from time-to-time, you genuinely prefer water.

You want to be a cowgirl when you grow up. Or a teacher overseas. You've been asking lots of questions of me over the past couple of months about what it was like to teach in Indonesia. You think that might be a great thing to do, even making the connection that teaching and traveling together is a super combination.

You want to go with Daddy and me to Indonesia some day. And I will try with all my might to make that happen. Every day, the last month of school you asked me to tell a story about living in Indonesia. And without fail, we would get in the car and you would say, "Okay Mommy. Start thinking of another good story. Pleeeeeeeeeeeease!!!" {I was only in Indonesia for 3 years, but somehow it wormed its way into my heart and I just love that place ... and the people ... and the memories ... and the things learned there. I think I could write endlessly about Irian. Hmmm. Maybe I will.}

You're getting braver with your singing. You sing louder this past few months. You have more confidence. You have a beautiful voice and I love listening to you sing. I don't let you know that though, or you instantly stop.

And since you won't read this for years to come, I'll go ahead and keep it real by saying that this has been a hard year of parenting you. And there are some days that I think I'm going to lose my mind; days when it is just so, so hard to be a parent. Days when I think I've completely failed. You've had some difficulties at school this year, which have been so hard for you to handle. {And for that matter, hard for Mommy and Daddy to handle, too.} You've fallen into some tendencies of disrespect and sassiness. Your sensitive little heart was hurt by mean kids at school and I think that perhaps, in self-defense, you're figuring out how to handle that and sometimes it results in mean actions and words in return. But that is not who you are. You are kind and loving and giving and gentle and sensitive and sweet. You're our Maddie Mae from the U.S.A. And so I am praying that your little heart will mend completely and that this hard lesson will develop your character in a way which is more like Jesus. And I'm praying that God would give me His wisdom in knowing how to parent you. And I keep telling myself that God gave you to me, so He must think I can do this. {Shout out to Pat Duckhorn for that tidbit learned at MOPS many years ago.} And I can do this. I love that you forgive me when I mess up. You are so good about that. You are precious.

Maddie, I love you more than you could possibly, POSSIBLY imagine.

And I'm praying that this year is a year of great growth for you. That your little heart and love for the hurting people in this world would continue to blossom. That God would use you in BIG ways to show everyone that Jesus loves them. I am so proud of WHO you are. Of WHO God made you to be.

You are a delight. You are precious. I love you, Sweet Sweets.

Love, Mom

{Not Mommy, because apparently that 'embarrasses' you, so as of about 3 weeks ago I had to drop the "my" in mommy. And that's okay, I knew that would come eventually, just seems a tad bit earlier than anticipated.}