Happy Birthday, Mackenzie!

Hard to believe my oldest daughter, Mackenzie turned 13 today. I am so amazed by the beautiful young woman she is becoming. I blinked and she grew up! I gave her my very well worn Bible that was given to me by my dad on my birthday in 1995-before we even knew she'd be a part of our family! Her dad and I also gave her one of my wedding bands (I have 2), which she had asked for to wear as a purity ring. We put it in an envelope with a note saying that we hoped the gold ring would be a reminder that gold is not pure and beautiful until it has gone through the fire, and that we would be continuosly praying that she would keep her life pure even as she would go through trials and temptations, all the while allowing God to mold and refine her into the woman he wants her to be. Yesterday her birthday gift was having a day with me and two of her friends to go yard-saling (our favorite past-time), consignment sale shopping, out to subway for lunch (her favorite place to eat), then to bath and body works to try out perfume and lotion and then to Barnes and Noble to smell new books, well, and read them too-but we love to smell new books in our family. What a sweet time we had, It was so nice to spend the day with her. We came home to the smell of Dad's cooking-grilled porkchops, black beans and yellow rice-yum! This mornig her brother and sister showered her with home-made cards and even did her chores for her! It seems like she has dreamed of being 13 forever. It seems like it has come too quickly!
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