The Big One!!

Sweet Kelsey~

You are ONE!

It is simply amazing how quickly time has passed in this last year.   You already amaze us over and over.  Everything about you radiates life and laughter.  You are stunningly beautiful, and your personality is contagious!  You smile and wave "hi" freely to anyone and everyone...in fact you wave at us all the time :)
You already have quite the sense of humor...laughing when you hear us laugh...or when there is laughter on the TV.  You have never "crawled" in the normal sense.  Instead you do this cute little scooting thing where you are sitting and push yourself around with one leg/foot.  You pull up readily, stand on your own and are cruising all over, but you have not yet taken your first solo steps.   Your newest feat is that you have learned to climb the stairs.  You've only made it up two, but it's enough to worry me.  Your spirit of adventure knows no bounds...and much like another female in your family (clears throat) you tend to push the envelope. You love to play and already have several favorites: A little bunny, a Cinderella doll that your brother found in Target, a bucket of plastic monkeys, a play tea party set, and anything small (not dangerous-just little baby hand sized) that is easy to hold.
You are already so very smart. We can truly see the wheels turning as you observe and process everything in the world around you.
You ADORE your big brother.  I can already see the hero worship in your eyes whenever you look at him.  He makes you giggle and you clap your hands whenever you see him.  Every morning, when he comes into your room, your face lights up, you clap and say "hi!" You follow him around and will scream at him to get his attention if he is focusing on something else.
Which leads me to my next point about your personality... You love to scream ...be it in joy or in anger. In happiness or frustration.  When you want attention and when you are not getting your way. You really enjoy the sound of your voice and the screams you can make.  We call you our little wildcat.  Our firecracker.  A pistol.  Are you getting the pattern here?
You give the words "strong willed" new meaning.  You understand the word "no."  You don't like it.  At all.  And you feel very free in letting us know when you are displeased with us :) Now, don't get me wrong, you are a delightful baby girl and I wouldn't change one thing about your feistiness.  I hope that you always keep that quality and that you continue to breathe life and wonder into every situation you are in.  I love you sweet, precious girl!  I pray that you will become just as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside, for that my sweet love, is where true beauty lies.  You are my treasure...my gift from God.  I am so thankful He gave you to us and I am excited to drink in every moment of this coming year with you!

With all my Love,
Mommy

~Live Fully*Laugh Loudly*Love Deeply*Grow Joy Daily

Hello, Again...

A year ago, today, I lost my Daddy to a heart attack.
A year ago, today, I lost my voice.
My desire to write and share was silenced.
Granted, I was never the most together blogger.  Sometimes posts would go a month (or twelve) apart. But, of all my readers, one was always faithful.  My Dad.  He was always there...encouraging me...waiting in anticipation until the newest post finally appeared.  Every time I logged on to write over this last year, the words just wouldn't come.  I tried. And would stare at the screen and sob because everything just reminded me of Daddy.  So, the silence continued.

Until Today.   I feel like on this year anniversary, my Dad is saying to me..."It's okay."  It's as if the countdown to this day has been weighing me down so much that now I feel like I've finally been able to breach the surface of the suffocating pool of sorrow and can breathe again. Just a little...but the breath is there...and it is enough.  And so...the journey begins again.  It may still be riddled with gaping holes and periods of nothingness.  It may be that words flow more than ever.  I don't know. What I do know is that today is a new day. A new time. A new beginning.

With that new beginning comes a new blog.  I love my original blog, "Oh Happy Day", (and you can still access it by clicking the tab with that title at the top of this page) but I need to close that chapter.  So...Growing Joy Daily.  Why that title?  I saw that phrase "growing joy" somewhere years ago.  I can't remember the source now, but it resonated with me then and in particular now. (My apologies to whomever I lifted the phrase from.)  I've learned this year more than ever about joy.  Joy is so different from happiness.  Joy is not dependent on daily ups and downs. It is a constant.  I can be in the depths of sorrow and still find Joy.  How is this possible?  It is simply this...my Joy comes from my Savior.  It comes from knowing Jesus and resting in Him.  I believe Joy is something that is born within you the moment Christ becomes Savior of your life.  As I've leaned on Him over and over through the loss of my Dad, I've learned that His Joy is something I want more and more of in my life. My goal is to strengthen and grow that Joy daily as I walk with Christ through my every moment!  It is my prayer that I will foster that desire for His Joy in the hearts and lives of my children and that we will be living reflections of His love...His mercy...His grace...And yes, His Joy...to all we meet- regardless of the circumstances our lives may be in at any given point in time.

So, this blog will be a lot of things...mostly...it will be my heart. The things that make me smile. That might mean posts on events in our lives, posts about my children or family, Bible verses, things God is showing me, movie reviews, music I love, crafts, cooking and who knows what else :)  But I know this for certain, my Daddy would be proud that I'm writing again.  And I hope that you will share this journey of life with me...just as he would have.

~Live Fully*Laugh Loudly*Love Deeply*Grow Joy Daily