Good morning friends. It takes a snow day for me to carve time out to blog. The shop was a HUGE hit again. Thank you all SO MUCH! I looked over at Tamara the other day as we were slouched over our work tables hammering away and said, "Remember when we used to go on nature walks? Remember when we used to go to lunch for fun?" That seems like so long ago;)
This little side hobby has turned into a full time, hard core gig. You see the five days of the shop being open...we see weeks before and after of prep, stamping, photographing, listing and really hard....very detailed work. Have I ever mentioned details are not my thing. Thank God for my helpers! This growth is such a blessing...such an amazingly overwhelming "God is in this THING", but I'm trying to figure out how to grow with it and not be swallowed up whole.
So needless to say last weekend when my girl turned fourteen I was more than ready to throw down the hammer and escape the basement for a bit. We hit PF Chang's for dinner. Did a little shopping at Anthro and saw an action movie. My girl likes action:)
My girls are opposites. Little chick wears her heart on her sleeve. If she's the least bit uncomfortable, sad, tired, hungry or whatever...you know it. Big chick keeps her feelings stuffed down a bit until it finally bubbles up and she erupts like a full blown volcano.
The night before her birthday she erupted. This being a teenager business is hard. It's the balance between wanting independence to spread your wings, and wanting to feel safe and secure and little...geesh it's brutal. There were tears about wanting to be remembered. There were tears about a lot of other heavy things. Things that honey and I listened to and identified with. Sometimes all they need/want is a sounding board. Guess what? We went through the same stuff. We felt the same way you do. It's all gonna be alright. Tell us what you're feeling. We can help you... This season is HARD, but it gets better. We promise.
We listened. We shared. She wiped away the tears, smiled and left. We cried. Why? Because that's what parents do. We pour out. We take it all in, and desperately we wish we could walk the walk for them knowing what we know now.
Oh to be fourteen all over again. Oh to know that being true to yourself and not worrying about everything so much is the way to go. To know that this season is so short, such a small little blip in your life, and not the defining end all of what you will become. That you don't have to have it all figured out. That God allows you to struggle a bit at times to shape and mold who you will grow into. Wish I could take all of my life experiences...struggles, pain, testings, joy, success, overcoming, confidence, love etc...and mix them into a little pill for her to swallow so she didn't have to worry. So she didn't have to go through it unsure. But that's not how it works. We each have our own path to pave.
I'm rejoicing with this girl. I know she'll figure it out. God has great big things for her. She will be remembered. She will find her voice, use her gifts, be surrounded with people who love her. Her dreams will come to pass and unfold. Why? Because she has a heavenly daddy who loves her so much more than honey and I ever could. And if we want these things for her...so does HE!
Happy fourteenth baby girl!!!
Be a blessing,
His mercies are new every morning.
Finally feeling better...
fourteen years of motherhood.
my girl!
chocolate cake
grace
nyquil
