My Baby Turns 15 today!

Isn't it funny how long 15 years can seem in one breath, and how short it feels when you celebrate your oldest child's birthday?

My beautiful Emily, pictured here from Homecoming last year, is an amazing person. Her style is so unique - and she pulls it off somehow, too. I could never look as cute with purple highlights, spiky hair, or combat boots, yet she is never afraid to be true to herself and who she is.

Emily makes me so proud every day. Even when she thinks she's let me down, I'm proud to call her my daughter. She is one of the most sensitive, caring people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. While she doesn't have hundreds of friends, those that do know her are lucky that she calls them friend. She will always look to protect them and loves them more than she loves herself.

What a talented artist she is, too. Her gift for seeing details in her drawings and photography blow me away. While I appreciate that God gave me a gift for design, I know he passed a piece of that on to my dear daughter so that she could help the world see it "her way".

Again, Happy Birthday to the light of my life, my dear, sweet daughter. She will do amazing things and touch many lives, whether she realizes it or not. How Blessed we are!

Well, There Went Wednesday!

Yesterday my Mother wanted to go up to her work and check on things for about an hour. She had surgery on her carotid artery Monday, so needed me to drive her. We took her fuel-efficient Honda vs. my gas-guzzling Suburban and spent an hour up at the shop.  At 10:37 we left, picked up the mail, and started toward the intersection a half block away. It's a bad intersection anyway, but I saw a 2010 Honda CR-V making the turn too wide and stopped about 15 yards before the sign to give her room. She kept coming too wide, and I tried to get the car in reverse but couldn't react quickly enough. So I hit the horn, and the other driver hit the gas. CRUNCH! My mother claims I made a comment of "choice words" but I don't remember saying that. My first thought was "I can't believe she just hit us!" My first accident ever while driving. So I pulled the car off the road and called Willie to bring the rollback and pick us up, called my friend Amy to meet us at the body shop in an hour, and then spoke with the police to get the accident report filled out.

At the time I didn't feel like I was hurt, but later in the day an incredible headache hit, followed by alot of pain in my left hip, back of my ribs, shoulder, and arm. Mom shared a painkiller she'd just gotten from the hospital and I slept well last night but I'm very stiff today.

Not my usually intended Thursday post here, and I missed Wednesday as well. Ah, intentions, right? Hopefully by next week I can really start adding some great content here instead of such personal things. I've got a big party Sunday, an Open House Monday morning, and another (hopefully) great party Monday night, so let's hope August finishes up on a much more positive note.