Happy Birthday Laura... Enjoy 19, 20 is around the corner!

First it is hard to believe that I could be a mother to a 19 year old! How did that happen? No real explanations, please! As hard as it is to believe that I am a mother of a 19 year old, it is harder to believe that her next birthday will make her 20! She has been so funny reminding me every day lately that when I was her age I was kneeling across the alter from her father. She is my baby, and I simply can not believe that time has flown so quickly.

Her Dad and I were so excited when we could feel her move around in the womb. She loved music, funny how that hasn't changed. We would turn the radio on and she would kick and kick and kick. We loved it. When she was born we learned how instant the love of a parent is for their children. Rick was instantly taken when she grabbed his finger and held tightly to it while being cleaned after her birth. She continued to seal the deal with her Daddy when she would sleep best at night as long as she was nestled on his chest in our bed. Through the years she has been a joy to raise. She has blessed us with so many happy memories and taught us so much through her example.

I remember:

• Those big wet kisses that she would generously give, thank goodness she doesn't now! ;)





• The bright red boots that we would have to peel off at bed time, even with her footie pajama's on and hide them until morning





• The times we would try to hurry and get bedtime over with and try to condense the scripture reader stories, she would correct us and say, "That is not what it says"





• Her hands on her 3 year old hips asking her mom, "Is that the way Jesus wants you to talk to little children" after scolding her for messing up her room





• The little shadow that would follow her Daddy anywhere and do anything that he wanted, even pluck our freshly killed "pet" ducks





• All the mornings trying to convince her that the "UNICORN" ponytail was not as cool as she thought and that one day she would thank me for not letting her wear her hair that way to school





• The hair cuts that I would catch her giving herself, her sister and barbies





• Barbies... we won't even go there





• Kindergarten and the talks that we would have about why it isn't okay to chase the boys and play kiss tag





• Buying Spencer a new shirt and tie because she tackled him after church to hold him down and give him a kiss, geez... so glad she grew out of that!





• All the yummy Clover Salads that she would fix with her sister and all of the excuses that we could come up with not to eat them





• Her Tom-Boy stage that some wondered if she would really grow out of, I think she did just fine with that one





• The lecture she gave to the first boy who tried to hold her hand





• Teaching her to drive the 15 passenger van while I was pregnant with Emma just in case I went into labor since her Dad was traveling a lot during that time- and trust me that was enough to send me into labor!





• All the loneliness and heart ache of surviving the teen years and our many talks about being shaped in the "wilderness"





• Trying to convince her that she needed to drive faster than 15 on the road after she got her permit





• Her first accident... and second





• First Love





• First Heart Ache





• All the tears shed when leaving for college the first time ( and she was only an hour away) by her and ME mostly





• All the times that I have watched her with her siblings and thought about what an amazing mother she will make one day





• The faith that she exercises even when it hurts deep down inside because she is willing to do what is right even when she doesn't completely understand the reasoning

Her father and I have loved being her parents. Laura has richly blessed our family with her faith and strong spirit. Thank you for being the wonderful daughter that you have been and we look forward to many more years and many more lists of our favorite memories!