To you, and you, and you!

2014 heralded change the moment of her very birth and inaugurated the worst-hated, most-beloved, ever-vexing, always-blessed 365 days of my existence.

 "Oh ye of little faith" labeled my forehead those first weeks of agony, of panic, of fear.  Swiftly though stamps of hope(!), faith(!), happiness(!), punched those feelings of despair to the underworld.

I certainly didn't secure my footing alone.  God lead the way and you have participated generously and graciously in Project Stephanie.  Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

THANK YOU.

I want you, all of you, to know that I think of and thank God for your kindnesses and your service to me and my littles.  Every. Single. Day.  From caring for and loving my children to an encouraging word or text.  From hiring me to hanging my curtains. From renting an apartment to me to comforting hugs.

Gracie, Jonas, and I are all so very blessed because of you.  My heart is constantly brimming with thanksgiving for and with love towards each of you.  Often times those feelings of gratitude spill over to weeping. 

Happy, happy new year. 

I love you.

May you be blessed for all you've done for me and my family.

Wiser Too

Precocious.

Definition:  having or showing the qualities or abilities of an adult at an unusually early age

Synonyms: bright, aggressive, cheeky, forward, sassy, quick, mature, intelligent, flippant, bold, presumptuous, pushy, smart-alecky

Precocious. 

This word generously peppered my childhood.  I can recall vividly my parents and other adults in my life rehearsing various renditions of "My, you are a precocious little thing!"  It rarely sounded complimentary, but I always took it as such.  Probably due to my presumptuous nature :)

I'm no longer a child, but thirty-two years old. Today. My birthday. Thirty-freaking-two.  What happened?!  How am I in my thirties?!  Like, In. My. Thirties.

I wonder sometimes how closely I resemble that precocious child.  Are we twins?  Close cousins?  Distant relatives who occasionally share a turkey and gather only at funerals?

This past year.  Whoa Nelly.  Talk about a growing year.  For real.  Many, many (MANY!) lessons.  Difficult ones.  Like quantum physics difficult.

So here I am.

One year older and wiser (?) too!

Happy birthday ta me :)