Joyous Birthday Wishes

This day, 14 years ago, I gave birth to my second child. For three days, this daughter of mine remained nameless, Wes and I struggling to agree on a fitting name. Finally, when the time came to fill out the official birth certificate form, we negotiated an agreement: Abigail-"my father's joy"- agreeable only if the middle name was Faith.

Wes was convinced our baby girl would not like the name Abigail, and thought Faith was a great back up name for when she expressed this inevitable disdain.

It's funny now to imagine calling our sweet Abbee "Faith." Our sweet Abbee who now stands 5' 8 1/2" tall and is too old to be comfortable with my disclosing her weight!

The grin she carried plastered upon her face as a toddler is still intact. It blesses me daily.

Abigail has lived up to the name that spoke of joy. She not only delights the heart of her father, but fills her mother's heart as well. This joy bundled up in one Abigail Faith is contagious! Her laughter often erupts, lifting a mundane day and spreading to all those around her.

Happy birthday, my precious Abigail Faith! May your fourteenth year be extraordinary as you continue to mature into the beautiful young lady God is shaping. And may the joy you exude continue to bless all who are privileged experience it!

Go Riders

The girls joined the THESA Riders (a homeschool basketball team) this season and are having a BLAST. More importantly, they are really getting better at basketball.

Their team recently won second place in the Stephenville Freshman tournament (falling only to the home team!).

They are finishing the season strong with hopes of doing some work at the upcoming State Tournament.

Can't wait to watch!

Love These Two

Pretend this post was written on November 13th...

So today (not really.  I'm just pretending I actually got this done in a timely manner.  It makes me feel better about myself.  Self-deception is my specialty!)  my second born turns 13.  I have teared up every time I've considered the profundity of this fact over the last several days.  And it's not just because I now have TWO teenage daughters living inside my house (Lord, have mercy...for real!), but it's more the reality sinking in that my time with my kids is fleeting, much more quickly than I could have ever imagined.

Abbee is just as special at 13 as she was newly born. She still makes me smile.  She still makes me proud to be her mom.  (The exception to this may be when we are eating.  That girl's table manners are lacking in every way!)  But, for the most part, Abbee's personality hasn't changed much in the last 13 years.

As I've considered being thirteen again, I began to think of all the things I wish I had known.  I feel certain someone shared these thoughts with me.  I didn't listen.  But, oh the despair that could have been avoided had I!

In hopes that maybe someday, Abbee will at least be able to look back and say, "Mom, you were SO RIGHT," here's a list of the 13 things I wish I'd known at thirteen:

1.  You will (for the most part) grow into your feet.
2.  Shaving your legs is over-rated!
3.  Zits suck.  And you will always get one the day before pictures, or parties, or prom.  It's natural teenage law.  I'm sorry.
4.  Procrastinating always comes back to bite you.  I don't recommend it.
5.  Enjoy the ability to run, jump, flip, and physically exert yourself in all manners.  One day, it will hurt  for days afterward.  You will wonder why this has to be.  No one will know!
6.  At the risk of sounding like Martina McBride, dance.  If there is music, you should dance.  It's completely normal no matter how many people may be staring at you!  Everybody wants to dance.  Be brave enough to do so!
7.  Don't believe anything another 13 year old says about you.  Their perspective is skewed.  It's not their fault, but it doesn't change anything.
8.  The people who love you most will still be around 20 years from now (give or take a few deaths).  Most of your friends will not.  Consider this when friends are urging you to do things from which the people who love you most would encourage you to abstain.
9.  Dressing like a slut is dumb. It makes you look trashy and easy. Neither of which is Christ-like.
10. Beauty really does start on the inside.  Outwardly beautiful, hateful girls are a dime a dozen.  Inwardly beautiful girls are rare.  Dare to be in the minority!
11.  All other 13 year olds feel just as insecure as you. Thirteen year olds that bully are usually even more insecure than their peers.

12.  While you may be smart, you are NOT WISE.  Thirteen years is not nearly enough time to gain any sort of useful wisdom!  So, listen to those who have lived much longer.

13.  When "no" is the answer, there is probably a good reason that comes from our overwhelming desire to protect you.  When you can't understand that, trust how much we love you.  And, know that our decisions, even when they are wrong, are motivated by a love you can't possibly yet understand.

I love you, Abigail Faith.  May thirteen prove to be everything you'd hoped!

How Not to Make Puppy Chow

Last night, Abbee asked me if she and her friend Emily could make some puppy chow (a.k.a. Chex Muddie Buddies). I told her the recipe was on the box, and thought she had everything under control.

A little later, she and Emily proudly delivered THIS to me...

When I saw it, I did what any loving, compassionate mother would do. I laughed in their little first time to ever follow a recipe faces!

They were both confused by the hilarity of it all when I asked Abbee to read me the recipe out loud. When she got to the part about melting the chocolate chips, she said, "OOOOHHHH! That's why the powdered sugar wouldn't stick!"

The big sisters stepped in to straighten out the puppy chow debacle and in the end, we all had a delicious treat!

Abbee's 12th Birthday

On NOVEMBER 13, 2010, we celebrated the birth of one Abigail Faith Powell.

This one, to be exact!
I offered her a deal. If she would forego the huge party, I would give her the cash instead and take her shopping! She's no dummy! She went for the cash!!

So, a couple of friends and a little family stopped by to help celebrate God's keeping Abbee alive for 12 whole years. This, my friends, is no small feat!

Neither is eating a chili dog with your hands!
One of the sweetest parts of the night was when Glory gave Abbee a present gathered and wrapped solely by her! It included a handmade turkey, a colored picture, a Baby Tad doll, a dress up veil, a silly hat from silly hat day, and several board books to boot!

Glory was SO EXCITED TO GIVE IT TO HER! And Abbee gushed over each one like a champ! It was priceless!

Thanks to all of our family and friends that helped make this special day even better!
And thank you, God, for giving us such a precious precious gift that has blessed us EVERY SINGLE DAY for the last 12 year! May you bless us with many more!

I heart this picture.

Proof...

...that my children really do love each other!!

Mow, Mow, Mow the Yard...

Abbee has recently decided that she will help Wes with the yard work! Watching her made me think of the first time I got to mow! I was SO EXCITED! Granted, I got to mow on a riding mower. I don't feel too badly because I also had to mow several acres!

The point is, she was every bit as excited as I was my first time out! She put in her earplugs, grabbed her shades, and got to work!

Uh-oh...she's onto me!
...trying to act like she's not being photographed!
Smirkingly knows she IS being photographed...


And since I already had my camera out, I decided to capture Wes with his self-invented leg protectors he wears when he weed-eats! Those are not bell-bottom yoga pants! He cut the bottom half of some old elastic ankled sweats and wears them upside down to protect his lower legs while he works in the yard!

He's practically Benjamin Franklin, always thinking outside the box!