From This to This...

Breathe. Seems I'm having to remind myself to do that a lot lately. For the most part, life at the end of the dirt road moves along at a different pace than life in town, but here lately, it seems to have moved into the fast lane. The days and weeks and months and years are moving all too quickly for this 'sit on the porch and visit a spell' gal.



Our daughter recently turned 16.

She went from this:

To this:





Overnight.

Seems that way anyway. Guess I'm showing my age. Daddy always said that time sped up as you got older. If that's the case, then I look pretty good for my age.

Still, I would gladly accept any and all tips for making time slow down.

This kid is not your typical teenage girl. She's perfectly thrilled with hand me downs from Daddy and her older brother's closet. She hates to shop. She's so grounded in her faith and who she is. Wish I had been so sure of myself at that age. She's an original and has never been one to follow the crowd. She's not afraid to stand up for her beliefs and go against the grain of what other kids are doing. She's got a sweet, independent spirit with a little bit of spice thrown in for good measure. She's a homeschooler who is socialized.

I've lost count of the number of people who warned me of the dangers of homeschooling. Number one on the list was the lack of socialization. LOL! Not a problem around here! In fact, this kid's social life is wearing me out! She's equally comfortable around kids and adults.

Just spent Saturday with 10 of her friends. One spent the night Friday. One Saturday. Another came from out of town for Saturday's festivities. 11 kids ate pizza. 10 kids went to the movies and Dairy Queen. 6 kids came out here to swim in the dirt tank and take part in a massive mud fight. Hot dogs were consumed and a fire was lit in the fire pit.

Now she is off for yet another sleepover with one of those sweet friends.

On the 9th, another friend is coming from out of town to spend a few days here.

We just got back from a 4-H State Conference trip where she met numerous new friends she added to her network. (Thank you, Charlie, for my Texas Aggie Fight Song Ringtone!)

I can't keep up with her.

She's such a joy. Yes, she sometimes balks when I ask her to do the dishes or help me in the yard, but she's an amazing kid. I cherish the many evenings when she comes into our room and sprawls out on the bed for a good long visit. She talks to me about a lot of things and I am so very thankful for that.

I know lots of parents who don't enjoy their teenagers. I'm not one of them. I love watching them grow and learn. They make mistakes and stumble through the potholes of life, but I'm holding on to the knowledge that God will be with them every step of the way.

May His love always shine through you and I send prayers of thanks to Him for giving me the privilege of being your Mama. I love you!