It's hard to believe that Madison is now 8 years old! I was looking at pictures from when she was a baby and I remember what a special time in our lives it was. We became a family. One of the greatest things we did as new parents I think was to not let having a child stop us from doing the things that we loved. Madison went hiking, biking and boating during her first year of life. And we loved every minute of sharing those experiences with her. The night before her birthday Madison and I were talking. One of the rare moments that I can have a one on one conversation with one of my kids. She asked me if I was going to play her special personalized birthday CD and sing to her when she woke up the next morning on her birthday. I told her she would have to just wait and see. Then she told me that she knows that her life is so special because I did things for her that not all moms do. She said that she knew that not all kids were as lucky as her and that the special things I did for her really meant a lot. I thought I was going to faint! I felt like all of the time and hard work I put into trying to be the best possible mother came down to this one defining moment with my first born. I had hoped that one day she would get it. I never imaged that she would be 8 years old when she did. There are lots of times that Duane probably thinks that I'm going overboard to make certain things extra special. There is a fine line between spoiling your kids and making them feel significant. I know that I can't give them everything. But I want my girls to feel special. I want them to know how important their happiness is to me. Making memories for them is one of the things I live for. It makes them who they are and what I dream they will become some day. The next day on her birthday, she had a skating party with her friends. It was a joy to see her face lit up the whole time. I was out there doing the chicken dance and the hoky poky with a bunch of 8 year olds. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. After the party we went to church as a family and reflected on all our blessings. There are so many. Then we headed downtown the the Spaghetti Warehouse for dinner. It's one of Madison's favorite places. We have our ups and downs just like every mother and daughter. But the love and pride I feel for that beautiful 8 year old girl is overwhelming at times. I am so grateful that God picked me to be her mother.
