Everybody Needs A Shana

My first-born child is amazing, and I am so glad that God has blessed my life with her. She has a heart of gold, and shows wisdom beyond her years. She strengthens and convicts me, and LOVES to give hugs (I get about 10 of them every night before she goes to bed.) She has more scripture memorized than I do, and helps me through difficult times and challenges with great maturity. For example:

*When we were trying to decide whether or not to host Vitaliy over Christmas, I asked the kids what they thought. ("Do you want to do this? It will mean that our Christmas will look a little different this year. We'll have to cut back, and you'll have to share everything with someone else. What do you think about having another child around?") Shana's response? "Well, I can't say that I necessarily want another boy around the house, but I think we need to be thinking about Vitaliy's needs and not our own."

*When I was spouting off all the reasons why I thought it would not work to bring another child into our home this winter, she calmly reminded me that Jesus would go to the outcast. I couldn't argue with her.

*Recently, I had a very hard day filled with a mad mess of emotions. Knowing I was discouraged, Shana wrapped her arms around me and said, "It's ok, mom. Satan is just trying his best to get to you right now." And she was absolutely right.

*Chris, Ashton, Jalen, Jordan and I spent last week in Florida. As we were driving home, a woman rear-ended us on the interstate. We were thrown around a bit, but were all ok. We arrived home Friday evening, and on Saturday, Chris and I drove several hours to attend an all-day training session for the orphan hosting program. By then, I was extremely sore from the accident, and although it was a wonderful day of learning and meeting others involved in the program, I had a head-ache the size of Texas and was completely exhausted from the long hours in the car. We arrived home late in the evening, and found a sign on the door that said, "Your Tour Awaits." Shana met us and proceeded to give us a tour of our house; a house which she and her friend, Heather, and cleaned meticulously. Every room was spotless; everything had been put away where it belonged. She then led me to my bathroom, where another sign on the door proclaimed, "Your Spa Awaits." Inside, she had the whirlpool tub filled with hot water, and there were candles burning brightly all around. She knew just what I needed after a long day away from home with sore muscles!

Shana is growing up way too fast. But I am so thankful that she is growing into such a wonderful young lady! I love her sooo much. She is an amazing girl with an amazing heart!