Mary is 16!

It is hard to believe that 16 years and 5 hours ago, Mary entered this world as a tiny 5 lb baby. A much wanted little one...she made me what I wanted to be all my life...a Mom. We didn't know what the future held for her, we didn't know about her brain problems, we didn't know about her difficulties to learn and understand. What we knew was that God had blessed us with the most precious little one, and that she was here safely! Our hearts were full of hope and wonder at her every movement. 16 years later, our hearts are still full of hope for this young lady. Sure, our dreams for her have adjusted with her discovered challenges, but we still know that her future rests in God's hands, and that no amount of labels you can stick on her will truly determine what she will be able to accomplish. Only God knows that. Our job, as parents, is to equip her to reach whatever potential she has. And I pray the ceiling continues to rise. I pray that she will learn to drive (someday...NOT NOW!). I pray that she will have a job. Most of all, I pray that she will be a wife, and that great dream that she made come true for me 16 years ago...a mother. I know without a doubt that she will be a great wife to the man that God has in mind for her. I pray that he is praying for her even now. She has so much to give, and no one should look at her as being less than a person simply because she has a mental handicap. What they should see is a beautiful young woman with a heart, that in its simplicity, loves everyone. Such blessings we have in the midst of those labeled less than "perfect." Remember that NONE of us are perfect...it is just that our handicap may be different than Mary's. It may be a sour outlook, a bad temper, a lack of compassion, an inability to see that there is good in all people. Whatever your handicap, God loves you in spite of it. And I love Mary, in spite of hers. Thank you God, for giving me this most precious gift 16 years ago. I look forward to experiencing the moments of her future as well. Happy Birthday, Mary! I love you!

2009

I can't believe the first month of 2009 is almost OVER, and I've missed it! Life at the Roberts house has been, to put it mildly, CRAZY. Did you ever feel like there MIGHT be a light at the end of the tunnel, IF you could ever get close enough to the end to see it? That's where we are. We are packing up our old office building, which is so much work in and of itself, but work that is sad, feels so much heavier. We've used every weekend since Christmas to pack up stuff, throw away stuff, and move stuff to a small storage location. If we had the energy, we could be excited about the positive changes, but the sadness of closing our "old" business and saying good bye to precious friends greatly overshadows the new opportunities. It's tiring! A New Year, indeed. Bring it on!

In the midst of all of this, we are planning for a momentous occasion. Our oldest child is turning sweet sixteen next Friday. Wow. How on earth can I be old enough to have a sixteen year old? It simply cannot be! Still, the house is being decked out in pinks and sparkles, ready for the blow out next weekend. I will reflect more on the past 16 years in another post, for now, I just marvel that it is here!

We are about to embark on another Disney adventure...my sister and her family will arrive tomorrow morning, and I will be "Tour Guide Paige" for the next couple of days. Since our Disney passes expired, much to my children's disappointment, I cannot afford to take them, but truly wanted to enjoy this time with my sister, nieces, and nephew. (My brother in law falls in there somewhere, too.) I would take every friend/family through Disney if I could, wishing that everyone would enjoy it in the way, and as much, as I do. So, in the haste of travel preparations, I now need to log off to prepare for the next few MAGICAL days.

As for my other comments to start off this new year, I continue to trust that God is in control of all of this, and He will provide for our family as well as for those that we love. This new year can bring great hope, not in our governmental leadership, but rather in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who remains constant and true.

God bless you all...HAPPY HAPPY JOYOUS NEW YEAR!!