I Remember When…

I remember when the nurses excitedly told me, "You're pregnant, again!".

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I was excited and scared all rolled together.  I never imagined having 3 kids!  But…

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You were mine and I fell instantly in love with you!

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You were the best baby of the family we could ever ask for…

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You loved makeup….especially chapstick ALL OVER YOUR ENTIRE FACE!

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Washing your own hair…

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….cooking!

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and of course, hanging out with your bestie!

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But then just like that…..things started to change.  You grew taller, smarter and even more amazing right before my eyes.

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As hard as I tried to sieze every moment……you raced on ahead of me, growing and changing into the young woman God would have you to be.

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While we love to tease you that you got all the leftovers from our genetic pooling…the honest truth is —>

That, you really got the best of us.  Everything that's good and right inside of Dad & Me…..fills your every crevice.  You are kind, loving, caring, smart, fun-spirited, easy-going, helpful, forgiving, hopeful, accepting and a creature of pure beauty!  God didn't wrap you up with junky anything…..HE WENT ALL OUT on you!

And watching you turn 20 years old……reminds me, HE HAS CREATED YOU WITH A PURPOSE that I feel honored to be a part of!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GATES! 

I'm the most grateful recipient of your love and the luckiest mom in the world — because of you!

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