7 Favorite things about the birthday girl. Amber Michelle

I can't believe my baby girl turned 13 this week. I am the mother of two beautiful teenage girls now. Holy Cow where does the time go? So while it hasn't been a full week since my last 7 list I feel like I have to do a shout out for Amber on her birthday.

1. Amber always thinks about others and loves to celebrate events to honor a person. When it is one of our birthdays, mothers day, fathers day........... anything. She is usually the first to want to plan a special breakfast, homemade cards, or making cookies for the neighbors. She has taught our family to think more this way.

2. Amber loves kids and they love her. They may be just a few years younger than her or just little tiny people. She has been invited to birthday parties or asked to 'come over to play' with some of these younger than her. Last summer we would go to the pool and she would make friends with small children and have a blast playing with them. She is gonna be a great babysitter someday and a great mommy!

3. She loves to make peanut butter cookies!

4. She has a passion to teach others about the Bible.

5. She is a great student, she gets Math. (I do not get math so I can really appreciate this talent)

I have had many teachers brag on her as a student and as a friend to others at school.

6. She loves family. Loves her sister, loves her cousins, grandparents, dog, I think she even loves her parents!

7. Amber is such a kind, thoughtful and considerate soul. I have watched her write letters to sick children, give or raise money for a good cause, make cookies for her friends, neighbors, church and school classes, make pictures, cards and paper animals for tons of people. Be a peace maker, and be patient when it wasn't easy.

Here is a quote that was read about Amber just a few weeks ago during an award ceremony at Craig Middle School. She was one of several students honored for the month. She makes us proud to be her parents!

"Amber Stewart has that enduring quality of sincere charm and, like a magnet, friends are drawn to her. She's an excellent student, perfectly mannered and always dependable. Amber's sweet smile is contagious! She fits the definition of a Craig outstanding Student to a 'T'"

P.S. To all you parents out there............... yeah she forgets to make her bed, pick up her clothes and doesn't always get along with her sister. But that is not included in THIS list. hee hee.

Happy Birthday Amber. I love you!

Not my favorite things!!!

I decided to do something different this week; instead of doing 7 favorite things I am going to do 7 things that are NOT my Favorites.

1) Confrontation. I hate to be confronted and I hate to confront someone, I hate confrontation. It gives me a stomach ache. Lets just be happy and all get along please!

2) Having stitches pulled out. Ugh it makes to shiver just thinking about it. I haven't even had to have stitches very often. It doesn't bother me as much to get stitches (which is a little weird since that part involves a pointy needle going through my skin). But that tugging feeling- the skin being stuck to the thread...................aaarrrrgggggghhhhh

3) Many of you know by now that I love the summer and being warm. The down side of summer is air conditioning. Now I am all for air conditioning unless it makes me cold. Why in the world do we need winter coats in the summer at church, the grocery store, the mall, the movie theater, etc. etc. etc. Why can't all these places just find a comfortable temperature, save some money, save the planet.

4) Termites. I didn't know this would be one of my 'not favorite things' until a few weeks ago. I got to experience a termite 'swarm' in my very own house. Many, many, many little flying buggy things came out of the door facing of the bathroom. I don't want to talk about this anymore, I feel itchy. (you do not have to be afraid of coming to our house-they have been dealt with)

5) When husband tells me "you are snoring". How can we not be sure it wasn't that he woke himself with his own snoring? I know my allergies have been bad and my nose has been stuffy but surely I do not snore, I don't!

6) When momma's have to bury their children. I have walked this journey with a couple of my friends and it breaks my heart. No matter if their child was small or a grown adult, I wish this pain did not exist.

7) When Children have to bury their Momma's. It just seems like kids need their moms to help them grow up.

7 favorite Momma Moments:

Well since it is Mother's Day weekend I felt like sharing some fond memories of being Ashlyn and Amber's Mom. It is truly an honor to love and help raise my 2 girls!

1) When both of my girls were babies I would hold one of their tiny hands to my lips and kiss it while they were nursing. Eventually they would put their hand to my lips on their own. I will never forget those sweet quiet moments together.

2)I am always amazed when I watch my girls strap on their ballet shoes, get on stage and dance in front of a big crowd of people, what beautiful graceful young ladies they are becoming!

3)It is always fun times when Ashlyn, Amber and I load up in the VW bug and laugh and sing together. Just a few of our favorites are: Def Leppard, Taylor Swift, Raskal Flats, Jonas Brothers, Sugarland, Bon Jovi, Shana Twain.......................

4) Each night before the girls go to sleep we take time to pray together, even the dog likes to get in the middle of this. We trade turns each night, right now the order is tallest to shortest. (that must mean I AM still taller than Ashlyn!!)

5) I have fond memories of the times I have walked arm in arm or hand in hand with one or both of the girls. Some of my favorite places have been walking along the river outside of Oxford, through the cemetery in France and hiking in Italy. Thank you ACU for the opportunity to go to Europe through the Study Abroad Program.

6) One of my favorite Mother's Day Mornings was the year that Jonathan and girls brought me breakfast in bed. It was complete with Pancakes and coffee, cards, flowers and my gift: an unwrapped frying pan with the paper tag still around it. They all seemed so unusually proud of themselves for this gift, while I was thinking "wow............ a pan!" They had hidden an iPod under the paper tag. I finally figured out why they were so proud!!

7) '2 Girls'

I have just loved having 2 girls, from the adorable little girl cloths, to sharing shoes and coats, pigtails, giggles and tears. Painting each others nails and all 3 of us in my bathroom fixing everyones hair. I have honestly adored every stage with Ashlyn and Amber as they are growing up to be beautiful young ladies. I thank God daily for our precious family.

I am so Blessed to be their momma!

Happy Mother's Day

Cindy

PS I have put some pictures below, be sure to check them out!

My Two favorite girls

Pictures of our family

7 precious People that I miss

Well, this one is going to be a little deeper than a list of my favorite shoes (I know it was a lame one!) I am going to list a few people who were dear to me and are no longer with us on this earth. While there are many already coming into my mind I am going to keep it at my '# 7' at least I think I will.

1. Janet Hughes: Our family went to Yellowstone together with Jonathan's cousin and his family. It was the last time I got to see Janet before she passed away from colon cancer. That girl could find the best little antique stores in East Texas. She could name any flower or type of rock (she was especially impressive at this while at Yellowstone). She bought me a little toy car VW bug for my 40th birthday-sadly she wasn't around when I got the real thing. One of the funniest things she said was that her family was a "Lawrence Welk" kind of family and Paul's (her husband) was a "Hee Haw" kind of family.

2. Uncle Max Magness: He was the youngest of 7 of my Dad's siblings. He was as real cowboy as they came. He looked like some of those funny cowboy cards you see sometimes. The ones with nasty teeth. He did have nasty teeth and spit chewing tobacco every waking moment and I kissed him every time I saw him. bleh! He was funny guy and a loyal friend with a big ol heart.

3. Hardy Stewart: Hardy became MY papaw pretty much the first time I met him (who was really Jonathan's papaw. He was a big tall man who loved his wife dearly, was proud of his sons and adored his grandchildren. My mom's parents passed away when I was only in 3rd grade and my dads mom "had so many grandchildren, she didn't know what to do" ha ha. So I guess I just ate up the love that Jonathan's precious grandparents showed me. I will always remember his laugh and those big hands with the end of one finger missing.

4. Kerri Lane: Loved her girls and God more than anyone I have ever known. She had the funniest sense of humor and was such a dear friend to soooooo many people. I wish I could have spent a lot more time with this lady. I am thankful for the time I did spend with her and the time I get to spend with her girls.

5. Russell and Vida Post: These two lived across the street from my family in Roswell New Mexico. They were an older couple that never had any children. I would go to their house A LOT; back in the day when a child could go 'missing' for hours with no cell phone and no worries. My dog Jiggs loved them as much as I did, in fact she would jump the fence all the time and go to their house. Maybe it was because they would give Jiggs and I Oreo cookies and Snicker's bars. They moved to Arkansas and I went and saw them a few times during the summer one time for a full 4 weeks (and I had never been away from home). They took me all over Arkansas and Tennessee and fed me fresh strawberries until I broke out in hives and thought I had the chicken pox. I remember that was the first time to ever see fireflies and mosquitos the size of humming birds. I think I looked like I had been pecked by a humming bird because of those mosquitos!

6. Myrtle Gray: when I was in Junior High and High School I went to Pine Springs summer camp in Sacramento New Mexico. There was a lady who would teach all the girls bible classes. It seemed like she was 80 years old, she had long grey hair tied up in a bun and always wore a skirt. It was really something to watch that lady get around in the mountains. She had such a passion to teach, she spoke just above a whisper and the 'mess hall' filled with girls listened to what she had to say.

7. Addie B. Hughes: This sweet lady was Jonathan's other grandmother. She was soft spoken and someone who was content with very little. The only things that would get her out of the house was: 1.) going to church every time the doors were open 2.) getting her hair fixed and

3.) going to the grocery store. I really need to learn to cook pies the way she did. It was always a treat to go a spend time at her house in East Texas, it was a peaceful place to be and she fed us well.

There are so many people that have passed through my life and I am thankful for everyone of them. I hope this makes you think about the people you have loved and miss. Blessings to you people!

love

Cindy