Happy Birthday Cassidy!!

My baby is 6 years old today! I can't believe it. I look back on the last 6 years and they've flown by.

I thought it appropriate to start a tradition of posting my favorite things about each child on their birthday. So here are a few things I love about Cassidy:

1. She's really funny. She's extremely witty and sarcastic.

2. She loves to organize my closet, and gets mad if I put my shirts back in the wrong spot - they are all color coordinated!

3. She beats the whole family in the game "Memory," and I think she's even more competitive than I am.

4. She loves to go to bed early. Most nights she's begging to be able to go to bed by 7pm. "Please can I go to bed now?"

5. By the time I wake up in the morning, she's already finished her morning chart - (eaten breakfast, showered, hair done, etc.) and ready to go to school. I wake up at 6. It's no wonder why she likes to go to bed early!

6. She does her hair better than I do. She can paint fingernails better than I can too, not that it's much of an accomplishment, but for a 6-year-old it's pretty impressive!

7. She loves to cuddle.

8. She's tiny, but she keeps up with the boys. She loves to wrestle, always gets hurt, cries for a minute, but then gets right back in the game.

9. I was taking her shopping for her birthday yesterday, and instead of toys, she kept wanting to look at shoes. In that way she's nothing like me! Not sure if I'll love that so much later :)

10. She's so much girlier than I was, yet she rocks on her little four-wheeler and gets so excited to ride the dirt-bike. She says, "Mom, I think I'm part tom-boy."

11. She leaves love notes for me everywhere! I've found notes in my dresser, my car, purse, etc. She calls me throughout the day when I'm at work, just to say she loves and misses me.

12. She helps me remember where I put my keys and/or cell phone. If I need to remember something at the store, I ask her to remind me. Sure enough, she does. She always says, "Mom did you remember to bring . . .?" Hope I don't get in trouble with Child Labor Laws for using her as my assistant!!

13. She makes the boys cry. Why I'm happy about that, I can't quite figure out! But I'm glad she's tough - she's gonna need it in this world.

14. She's honest. Sometimes a little too honest! "Uh, are you really going to wear that shirt with those pants?" I really don't know where she came from! But I love her like crazy!!!

15. She's a constant reminder of what life is all about - striving to be with our familes forever. I just look at her - and the rest of my kids - and my heart burns, because I love them so much. Sometimes I get that glimpse - you parents know what I'm talking about. That glimpse of "recognition." It's like I can remember her from somewhere before this life. It's usually a particular facial expression that brings it on, but the feeling is so strong. I'm reminded that I'm not just her mother, but our souls are friends, and we were put on the earth together so we could help each other through this life.

I love you Cassidy - thanks for being such a wonderful daughter. I love you the most from coast to coast, east to west, north to south, to the moon, and all the way around the world and back again!

Figuring it out as I go . . .

Wow! It's been a while since I updated this site. I have no other excuse than, "I'm busy!" But anyone who knows me well enough, can definitely vouch for me on that one! I know it's a month late but I had to add the cute Easter picture. I love being a mom!

Reflections on the last month or two:

I think the one thing that comes to mind more than anything is how awesome Heavenly Father is! I've really been thinking a lot the last few weeks about the way God works, and how He loves us so much that he truly does care about each of our paths in life. I've been thinking about how different my life would be if I hadn't been on my knees praying in desperation for hope back in October of 2005. During that prayer, I received an answer that would change the entire course of my life. "Move - today." As scary as it was to leave the life I knew behind, I couldn't deny the strong impression I'd received. I moved that day, and cried for several days after because I didn't understand why. But within that week, blessings came in so many different ways. The most incredible blessing was meeting my husband - Enoch - exactly one week after moving! I had no idea I would marry him then, but months later I realized that had been part of God's plan for me all along. Anyways, I've just been thinking about that a lot lately. I've been thinking about the past couple years since then, and all of the amazing gifts in my life because of that one choice. I can't imagine life without Enoch and the three children I get to be a 2nd mom to. I've made so many incredible friends, and have learned many excellent life lessons.

Life is hard sometimes. Sometimes we're asked to do things that don't make a lot of sense! But it's so amazing to see in my life and in the lives of so many friends and family that Heavenly Father does really care. He loves us and wants us to grow closer to Him. Sometimes the only way for us to grow closer to Him is through the "Refiner's fire." And of course, just when we think we're figuring it out, we have other lessons to learn!

The other day I said to Cassidy, "Heavenly Father is pretty cool, isn't he?" And she said (with her 5-year-old-going-on-16-attitude) "Uh -ye-ah. Because - He like knows everything, and He knows what's going to happen. So all we have to do is trust Him."

If only I had figured it out that early!