An introduction to me, my gifts and where I am in life!

Today the reality sets in that my oldest daughter is a senior in high school. I knew when I turned 40 I would probably go through some "mid-life depression" of some sort. What I didn't realize was that it's not about being 40 as much as it is a turning point in my life. It's about saying "good-bye" to parts of life I never though would come to an end and saying, "hello" to new things as we move into a slightly older place in life. I definatily wasn't prepared for how fast time would go by! My children are growing up so fast, my parents are getting older and I worry about them more than I used to because they are experiencing a few more health issues than they did a couple of years ago. My husband's parents are aging, too. My body began telling me I'm getting older, too. And now, as my children turn a year older and then another year older, I no longer have a house full of babies, toddlers and preschoolers! Those days are over...never to be again! When Ally turns 10 in November, I'll have 5 children in double digits. That's something I never thought about before. I'm preparing myself for the fact that the kids hit the twenties after the teen years (I know that isn't very profound, but I need to brace myself)!

Abigail is the music artist. She is gifted in communicating what's on her heart in a creative way. She can express herself in a song and in her writing. She amazes me and I love to listen to her music. I am praying for her this year that God would once again provide a miracle like He did last year so she can get her next 17 songs recorded professionally. I know that He can and He will if He wants to share her gifts with others. I know that someone in India has heard her music and commented on it! That's amazing!

Anneliese is my right hand in the home. If I miss something, she catches it. She keeps her siblings accountable for their actions and keeps us moving along on schedules whenever necessary. She is interested in working with children and is involved in a ministry with young refugees and a camp for children. You can be sure that if you give her a job, she will find out how to do it the best way she can, even if it requires studying books on the subject. Anneliese is artistic in drawing and her observations of life. That makes her a great cartoonist.

Ashley is an artist of photography. She loves taking pictures and finding beauty in nature. She was nearly deaf for the first several years of her life and although it didn't affect her speach, she is able to read lips and she is very observant - taking in so much information with her eyes because she relied on them more than on her hearing. She gets annoyed by noises that are a part of our everyday life such a water running and the computer fan.

This is a short introduction to 3 of my 7 gifts from heaven!