15 Years Ago…
Yesterday was sissy’s birthday; She turned 15!! It seems crazy that I am a parent of a 15-year-old!!! We spent the day celebrating her and Lou's birthday with family and friends. La baked brownies and cake (I made homemade peanut butter icing).
I'm so blessed to call you mine! I'm so proud of the smart, passionate, beautiful, sassy, witty, and strong-willed young lady she has become!
Every year on her birthday, I can’t help but think back to how it all began. I feel like this is an excellent time to share “her story.”
As I shared in my “16/14/1” blog, in 2003, Steven and I started officially dating, which was our senior year of high school. From the second I met him, I just knew there was something about him! I even had that sitcom love at first sight moment of him walking into through the hallway where angel sang, and I could see no one else but him. But it was not easy to jump right in since I had ended a three-year relationship. Never-the-less, we were pretty much inseparable from then on. In May I found out I was pregnant. I know that it will sound crazy, but it was an answered prayer. I had a complicated relationship with my parents and had been fighting more and more with them. After a particularly bad fight with one of them, I did something I had not done in years- I prayed! Tears were running down my face, utterly desperate for a change; I prayed that if God could hear me that he would show me what to do because I couldn’t live like this anymore- and he sent me “my Grace.”
Sissy was given the middle name “Grace” after my grandmother, but the mean is so much more than that! The biblical definition of grace is the unmerited favor of God; in other words, the gift you did not deserve! She was and will always be my grace! She is the gift that I did not deserve, but I work hard to be the best Momma possible for her (and her sisters)!!!
So... yeah, I was 18 and a senior about to graduate from high school when we found out, so we got to hear A LOT of opinions about having a baby. I was told “keeping” her was a mistake! I was told that becoming parents at this age would ruin my life (our lives)! We were told our relationship would never last because having a baby so young was too hard and puts too much strain on young couples! My favorite thing was when they gave me “real life” examples, “______ had a baby this young and look how their lives turned out” or “______ didn’t keep the baby and look at how successful their life is” It was never-ending and extremely overwhelming! For the record, it never crossed our minds not to keep her!!
I AM SO GLAD I DIDN’T LISTEN TO ANY OF THAT!
I’m so glad WE had her! My world is a better place because I have her!
Honestly, the world is a better place because she is in it!!!
My girls are my whole life... and my life began with her!
She showed me my purpose!
In the last fifteen years, I have loved watching her become the person she is today. From the soft-spoken, people-watching toddler to the loud, eye-rolling, sarcastic, opinionated teenager! She is a genuine person that isn’t afraid to stand up from what is right! She is an awesome big sister too!
I can not wait to see what the next fifteen years hold for her!
In conclusion: Starting a family so young: staying together, having three more kids- It has not always easy, and it has NEVER been “perfect,” but I have felt blessed by every second of it!
I can’t imagine my life being any different.
As always, thanks for being part of our Crazy!
Until Next Time....