my hero

This little girl has had a pretty nice life.  She was a little blessing to me and has always been a delight.  She is cheerful and adventurous.  Here she is in Ireland looking out over the ocean.  Lucky, ducky.    Next week she's moving back to Utah.  She is ready for her next chapter.  I know she has many adventures ahead of her and will continue to make good choices and be a blessing to those around her.

In no particular order here is a small list of some of the neat things she's been able to do.  She took violin lessons, and played in the Ft Worth Youth Orchestra and her high school orchestra, she took piano lessons, she took ballet lessons, she danced on the Boswell high school drill team, she was on the swim team, was a brownie, raised a goat, was in student government, has lived in 4 states and made lots of friends, studied many neat things in school, read lots of books, went to seminary, lived in a dorm, went to sea base, went white water rafting, been kayaking, has gone caving, has travelled to Belgium, France, Romania, Moldova, Ireland, England and many many states, went to EFY (twice) and scout camp and girls camp and science camp, she's played on a soccer team, worked in an orphanage and for special Olympics and as a sentinel for baby sea turtles and took part in "Christmas in April".  She surfs, runs, bikes, swims, sings and shops.  She had pet turtles, birds, dogs, cats and fish.  She's been to Disneyland, Disneyworld, Magic Mountain, Knott's Berry Farm, Williamsburg, Nauvoo, Big Kahuna's, King's Island and Sea World.  She's swam in the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans, a great lake and many smaller ones :)  and the list could go on and on.

Many of these great experiences have been because of my hero, my husband. When he married me he willingly and gladly became part of a big (relatively speaking to an only child) family and jumped in with both feet to do the best job he knew how.  He has sacrificed a lot, worried a lot, prayed a lot and been there for good and bad.  I really appreciate him making not only my dreams but my sweet girls dreams and now our own three little ones dreams come true.  Today, like many many other days he put in 12 hours at work.  When I called to ask him to pick up E's prescription on the way home and to break some bad news to him he told me how much over time he made this day... and I said (here comes the bad news part) "oh good, cuz I am out of $ and need you to move "x amount" into my account and oh btw, J needs to pay $450 in rent....today.  He sighed (quietly), said "Lucy, you got some splaining to do" (just kidding) and said okay.  He always saves the day.  He buys cars and cletes and movie tickets and braces.  He goes to concerts and games, recitals and open houses.  He stays up all night, cleans throw up, stands in crowds, makes ice cream, camps, digs out splinters and all other and assorted duties that befall him and it makes me love him more and more each day.