Happy 18th Punky!

18 years ago today God gave us an incredible gift. He gave to us a precious bundle of life to raise and take care of and teach until He is ready to call her home again. I have never felt more blessed in my life than that day as I gazed at Heather for the very first time. As soon as she was born my doctor placed her in my arms and I've never seen anything more beautiful, more perfect. Then she was wisked away to weigh and test. The nurses brought her back to me all wrapped in a blanket with a bow in her hair like in the picture below.





So many times that seems like just yesterday. We wouldn't know for 3 years just what a miracle she was and what a gift God truly had given us. It was never our plan to raise only one child, but of course our plans aren't always what God has in store. There is no explanation for how we were able to have Heather but we are so very thankful to God that He gave her to us.





Heather proved early on to be eager to be independent and that never changed. Even now when she says, "Mom, I can do it!" I still hear that small voice when she was learning to dress herself, "Mommy I do it myself!"







I am not ready to let her go just yet, but I know that in just under a year I have to do just that. I will just have to hope and pray that we have prepared her for anything that lies ahead and will leave her in God's hands.






When Heather was 3 weeks old I laid her on one of my drawing pads and traced around her head, hand and foot and folded the paper up and stuck it in a book. I didn't realize until now when I dug it out that Marty didn't even know I'd done that. I had Heather put her hands on the page so I could capture a sort of then and now photo:





Heather may you have a blessed and fabulous 18th year! We love you so very much and are so proud of the young woman you've become.