The Heart of a Little Child

To say the past couple of years have been anything but "normal" for Lucy would be an understatement. 

The week before Easter 2011, she was going to be a big sister ... 

then the miscarriage on Easter Sunday  (LINK here)

A couple of months later, she was going to be a big sister (again) ... (LINK here)

and her Mommy had to be very careful during this pregnancy which resulted in little brother Tag (Feb 2012)

In the Fall of 2011 her Daddy deployed to Afghanistan for a mission that would last around a year ...

but he was wounded in action 11 days after Tag was born. (LINK here)

For the following 5 months, Lucy divided her time between living on the Walter Reed campus with her parents & baby brother and part of the weeks here at home with her Grandad & Granny.
(post: Sometimes I Forget LINK here)

For a little girl who will be turning 5 years old this September, she's already seen a lot in her lifetime. Her experiences have taught her more than alot of adults know or have seen.  She is keenly aware of others' feelings and is sympathetic when someone is physically hurt, sad or has hurt feelings. When one of her classmates would be sad at preschool, her little heart would hurt & we would pray for that classmate here at home. 

Lucy knows a bit of the medical aspect of life as well. She knows what prosthetic limbs are & what they are made of ... she can even pronounce "prosthesis" better than her Granny.  She has a soft spot in her heart for our country's Little Warriors & wants to make sure they are taken care of along with their heroes.

This past September marked even more changes & growth for Lucy ...
she became a preschooler and a ballerina for the first time.

Here's some highlights from her "school year" ...

September 10, 2012 ...
1st day of preschool

September 21, 2012 ...
1st dance class

September 23, 2012 ...
1st airplane ride
(the pilot let Lucy sit in the co-pilot's seat when the plane was empty)

What a way to spend her 4th birthday!











And Lucy did something very special for a friend of hers one day ...

At snack time, Lucy moved her chair to sit by a friend who didn't have anyone sitting next to her. They had been assigned a snack-seating chart, so this was one of those days when a little girl was just sitting alone. Lucy's heart went out to her friend and she simply did not want her friend to be lonely.

My heart both swelled with pride that she had compassion for her friend ...
and it broke just visualizing how sad the scene was set. 
I honestly believe that God orchestrates situations in our lives that will bring us aware that we are to be as He is -- 
and God absolutely loves our little children ...
ummmm --- HIS little children. 

With so many "firsts" occurring in Lucy's life over this past school year, it has become more evident that she simply puts God first in her heart ... then others ... then herself.  
Oh to have the heart and spirit of a little one. 

Dear Lucy, 
Thank you for being sensitive to others. Your heart shines through in everything you do. Please always follow God's directions for your life & your heart for others. You don't realize this, but you are truly one of the most awesome role models in your Granny's life. 
Whether you're at Walter Reed giving out welcome bags to our
Little Warriors ... 
or off on an adventure with your friends ... 
or learning more about God at preschool or Sunday School ...
or simply just doing everyday here at home -- 
YOU are who I strive to be as ... everyday.  
You are my role model & my inspiration, 
and I just know that God has some mighty awesome plans for you. 
I Love You Always Sweetie, 
Your Granny

Catching Up ... and Getting Further Behind

It's amazing to me how fast this past month has gone by. Seems like last week the man & I were celebrating our 29th anniversary --- and now we're into June! So much has been happening in our household, so here's a little rundown with some pics included ...

Lucy had her very first dance recital!!!  Her class did a ballet dance to 

The Muppet Show theme ... 

and they even dressed in green just like Kermit the Frog!

They were so cute ... they had a performance on Saturday afternoon then another on Sunday afternoon. Lucy did so great with this being her very first recital!!! And ALL of the dancers were wonderful!

Of course Tag entertained GG & Grandpa before the performances.  He is enamored with his great-grandparents as much as they are with him

(and Lucy too!)

May, 1990

It's a generation tradition to be at recitals -- GG & Grandpa had been at Mrs 'Joe's first recital when she was Lucy's age ... and now at Lucy's first recital 23 years later! And my sister and niece even came over to see a performance of the "little froggies".

Then a couple of weeks later, Grandad & I went on a little mountain retreat -- just the two of us. Normally we don't wait so long after tax season for a vacation, but the timing worked out perfect for us. 'Joe's dad & stepmom were coming into town for a family visit, so we wanted them to be able to enjoy the 2 little ones (and their parents too :) ... although Grandad & I love seeing "Papaw & Nana", we took this opportunity for our little getaway ...

I know I've said it before, but I do endeavor to keep up with my blogging a bit better than I have been. I can't believe how fast time goes by day by day ... week by week ... and now month by month.  I'm setting a plan in motion that hopefully I can follow (not such a strict schedule, but one that will bring me closer to my various goals with different aspects of life) ... and will bring a post more often. Time management has never been a strong point to me unless I've been on a deadline schedule. So, we'll see what happens with my "flexible yet aggressive" weekly schedule. And when better to start than right now with the click of my "publish" button?

I hope everyone has a wonderful week where 

goals are met while life is lived ...

time is managed while spontaneous moments occur ...

tasks are accomplished while relationships are still priority.