Yesterday, February 16th, was my daughter Elizabeth's 17th birthday. I can't believe it's been 17 years since that joyful day! On Sunday night, visiting with friends in Ohio, we celebrated Elizabeth's birthday along with that of my son Justin, who turns 21 tomorrow.
Here is something I wrote two years ago, on Liz's fifteenth birthday. In the intervening two years, she has continued to become a more precious and delightful daughter!
Written on my daughter Elizabeth’s birthday, 2/16/2002
Fifteen years ago today, I gave birth to my precious daughter. I had known since I was around twelve years old that if I ever had a daughter, I would name her Elizabeth. I have always loved that name.
I had two sons before Elizabeth came along. Jonathan and Justin were about as rowdy and energetic as two boys could be. I adored my boys, but I used to dream of a little girl that I could dress up in pink, ruffles and lace.
However, after the boys came along,my husband really didn't think we needed any more children. I guess the Lord had other plans. Jonathan was six and Justin three when I started feeling those unmistakable symptoms.
I began to prepare myself for another boy. I picked out a boy's name and called my baby that name the whole time I was pregnant. I wouldn't let myself even look in the girls' section of the store. I was so certain I was carrying a boy, that I was truly surprised when on the morning of February 16th, 1987, I heard the words, "It's a girl!"
Funny, now my husband has no idea how he could possibly have lived without Elizabeth. She wrapped herself around his heart from the word "go." Even now, few people understand each other like my husband and my daughter. They fuss at each other, joke and tease with each other, and even get downright mad at each other, but there's a wonderful father-daughter connection that can't be broken.
While she's all girl, and loves perfume, make-up and bubble baths as much as any girl, she also enjoys sports, and is tough enough not to take any guff off of anyone. That's what having two older brothers does to a girl! She can definitely fend for herself in any situation.
She has a great sense of humor, and can do impressions of just about anyone, famous people or just people in our circle of acquaintance. My sons are always making her do these impressions, and they think their sister is hilarious. By the way, they call her "Giz" or "Gizzard." Isn't that horrible? She's completely crazy about her big brothers,though.
She has a tender heart toward the Lord, loves Christian music, and I will often find her writing in her prayer journal.
I may sound like a bragging mom, but she is tremendously musically talented. She plays the piano, guitar and clarinet beautifully, and has even written poems and songs. Last fall she acted in her school play, "Meet Me in St. Louis," and did a beautiful job.
Lest I start sounding like those Christmas letters in which everything is disgustingly perfect, I'll admit that having a daughter has been something of an adjustment. The boys have always been extremely low-maintenance, and are generally in great moods UNLESS they're hungry. Feed them then, and they're good to go.
But as anyone who has both boys and girls can tell you,girls are totally different. There are these little things called HORMONES. They can turn a perfectly sweet little girl into a monster. :) That's OK,though...the sweet times more than make up for the hormonal times. I wouldn't trade my precious,beautiful daughter for anything in the world.
Most nights, I go to bed before anyone else because I have to get up at 4 in the morning. Often my daughter will crawl into bed with me, and we'll just talk for a while. About anything and everything. Those are the most precious times to me. I cherish them, and when she's grown and gone, those are the times I will hold onto like a valued keepsake.
Happy Birthday,Elizabeth. I love you!
All my love,
Mom
A visit to Ohio
Just came back from a wonderful 3-day weekend in Ohio! We visited with my son Justin, who is a junior at Cedarville University, then took him with us as we visited friends who live near Cincinnati. (The picture you see here is of the Dixon Ministry Center on the beautiful Cedarville campus.)
We worshipped Sunday morning at our friends' church, First Baptist of Glen Este, Ohio. The guest speaker was Matthew Recker, who has planted three urban churches in New York City...the most recent being Heritage Baptist Church in the Greenwich Village area of Manhattan. Recker's message was stirring and inspiring, and we plan to visit the church when we take a group of high school seniors to New York in spring of 2005.
By the way, I absolutely love New York City and can't wait to go there again! Next year, God willing, will be my fourth visit to the Big Apple, and I totally look forward to it!
I do the Monday Madness quiz!...a day late!
This from the Monday Madness site:
"I've got a new idea this week.......First of all, pick a letter, any letter.................Got one? Ok. For the following questions, all your answers must begin with the letter you just thought of. (Honor system here, my friends!) Have fun with it! (Oh, I am in the process of updating my list so if you do not see your link yet, please know it will be there asap!) Thanks for your participation!! Remember; All your answers must begin with the letter you just chose! =)"
I chose "B."
1. Name two types of food that you could care less if you ever ate again.--Bologna and bratwurst.
2. Name one animal.--Bull
3. List three words to describe yourself.--Bubbly (sometimes!), balanced (I hope!), Baptist
4. Name two things you might find at a zoo.--beasts and bears? :)
5. Name three things you might find living in the water.--barnacles? (are those livings things?) and...blowfish?
Wow, that was a hard one! :)
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