11 Reasons I love Maelynn...

Happy Birthday to Maelynn Joy. It is hard to believe that she is already 11 years old. She is mature enough - but it just doesn't seem like I have sufficiently satiated myself with Maelynn over the last 11 years with her in my life. In honor of her birthday (it was on Friday), here are 11 great reasons to LOVE that girl...

1. SHE IS CARING. She often will do sweet things just to help others out without being asked. Just the other day she wrote a note to her little sister and ended it with "P.S. I love you"! She has many friends at school and church and she genuinely cares about them.

2. SHE IS TALENTED. Anyone who knows Maelynn, understands this statement. She is an awesome gymnast and also excels at swimming, running and other physical feats. She plays the piano very well (has pretty much passed up her parents already).

3. SHE IS LEVEL-HEADED. Whenever I have to ask her to fore go something she was intending on doing because I need her to do something else at the time - she always complies, and does so willingly. You only have to explain things to her ONE TIME, and she always seems to grasp the importance or meaning of something right away.

4. SHE IS COMPETITIVE. This statement mostly applies to Maelynn and Greg. They are always competing. I mean ALWAYS. Whether it is a math question, or the number of push-ups they can do - they are always giving each other a hard time about who can do better. (Which begs the question: Who needs to compete with someone 25 years their younger? J/K Greg!)

5. SHE CAN (AND WILL) CHANGE DIAPERS. Nothing much more needs to be said about that statement.

6. SHE IS SENSITIVE. Ever since she was about 2 1/2 years old she has loved watching "Little House on the Prairie" re-runs. (Gets that from her Dad, too.) She is the type of person who will cry at sappy movies with me and who shows empathy for others all the time.

7. SHE LOVES TO CRAFT WITH ME. I love that Maelynn will always be eager to do whatever craft that I am doing. She will help me with scrapbooks or quilting or painting. She has already learned how to cross-stitch, crochet, and is now learning how to knit. She even painted her own dresser.

8. SHE IS VERY BRIGHT. And I mean this in the "intelligent" way - although she also has a great radiance about her. She is always a straight-A student. She recently scored at a 12th grade level on her Math testing and was also invited by a National Leadership Group to go to Washington D.C. for a youth Leadership trip. (Unfortunately - due to finances, this will remain just an "honor-to-have-been-invited" memory!)

9. SHE IS HONEST. All children tell fibs. It is the way it is. However, Maelynn doesn't do it very often, and when she does, she can't live with it. Invariably the truth will come out - of her own doing, with little to no prying. Just the other day she came out of bed sobbing because she had told a little lie about her homework earlier that evening. It is so great to see the Holy Ghost working in your children's lives.

10. SHE IS BRAVE. I could do an entire post full of examples of this - but here are a few that come to mind. First, she had the guts to tell us that she wanted to take a break from Gymnastics. This was not an easy thing for someone who's whole life was being consumed by this event. She wasn't scared of us getting upset or anything - she just spoke her mind, knowing how much time and money and effort we had put into it - she still followed her heart and did what she needed to do. I respect that. (As a side note, for those who are curious, she is currently taking Ballrom Dancing and is teaching a gymnastics class out of our home once a week.) Secondly, she was in a very real 'near-death' accident once. This involved her going down a hill and through a busy intersection full of traffic on a bike without chains. She was miraculously saved, and although she was very scraped up and rattled, and her parents were in another State, she was so brave and barely cried. Also - she got right back onto a bike after that.

11. SHE LOVES TO HUG ME. This is one of the greatest things about Maelynn. No matter how rotten I have been during the day, she will give me at LEAST 3 hugs before going to bed. EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT. She always tells me that she loves me when she gives me hugs. I only wish that I were better at telling people how much I love them and showing more affection. I pray that she never grows out of that habit - no matter her age!

Here are a few pictures of Maelynn's Birthday and the (attempt at a) Fondant cake that I made for her. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAELYNN. Thanks for bringing so much Joy into our lives. We love you.