The One Who Made Me a Mom

This sweet face.

The one who made me a Mom....

She turned 13 today. 

This kid right here. 

I love everything about her. 

Even her faults. 

She is the kindest, funniest, and most interesting kid I've ever met. 

Okay. Maybe I'm biased. 

But honestly, I enjoy almost every minute I have with this kid....and we spend almost all our minutes together. 

When I had her, I never considered the fact that I would one day have a teenager. But here she stands. 

We have spent the last 13 years of her life praying, cuddling, laughing, watching our favorite shows, learning, baking, reading good books, taking nature walks, riding bikes, researching her passions, serving, traveling, and participating in community together. 

When I look at her and hear her talk, I know she has grown. So much. But I still see how, in so many ways, she is little. 

The night of her 13th birthday, a friend-who is 15-came home with her from HSP and spent the night. They spent from 10 PM-Midnight playing restaurant with Little S. Man, I love to see the creativity. The menu on the marker board. The costumes. The music they put on in the background. The acting. And I'm glad it isn't over. I am so glad to still have my little girl, even though she is officially considered by our culture to be a "teen." 

I love that kid. I have spent a lot of time getting to know her. And her style. And her likes and dislikes. I love how unique she is and how she doesn't care what others think. She loves festive earrings and funky shoes. She loves to wear a bandana in her hair, but she doesn't like makeup. She is kind, but she struggles to be so. 

She has so many aspirations once she is done with school. She has considered her own business. She's considered unique teaching roles. But most recently she has decided she feels called to be a missionary in Mexico, so she is hard at work trying to learn Spanish, and her Bible of course. She definitely doesn't think she will be permanently leaving home as soon as she is 18, and to be honest, we are okay with that. My Husband and I both love the idea of a multi generation family living under one roof. So we shall see. (We may need to get a bigger house if we are going to do that.) 

So here's to the one who made me a Mom. My first official teen. My child. Sam.