Sunday, November 18, 2012

thirTEEN


some of you may know that i have officially been the mother of a teenager for a good nine months now.
you know your life is coming full circle when your daughters pinterest boards are cooler than your own.  :)
i mean, do i really look old enough to have a teenager?  ------------------------------------------------->
#dontanswerthat




this darling girl has been the recipient of all of my worst mothering mistakes.  she was my guinea pig. 
my heart's desire as a teenager(GASP! that's what she is!), was only to get married and have children.
seven was my 'magic' number.
after i had a few kiddos the number decreased, but by God's grace, i think it may just still be our number.
 but that's for a whole different post.  ;)

i got married to my love when i was 18, and one year and one month later, miss elly was born.
baby in arms...we were in LOVE.
now she's growing up on us.  *sigh*


as i look back at all of my naiveness as a young mother, and my millions trillions of mistakes, i see a story that is grace laced in every way. 
i was not always a great mother.  i was a very strict, demanding mama who required nothing less than perfection for a long time. 
of course, i know this is impossible, but it didn't stop me from trying.
i didn't give grace, and so that put a barrier between my very own daughter and myself.
as weird as it may seem, and as harsh as it feels to me, my daughter and i have not always connected in the way i thought we would.
it would take 13 years for me to fully grasp the gift that my daughter is to me and that she was specifically chosen for me.
what an honor and a blessing!

here are a few pictures of her birthday party this past february. 
it was a very bitter cold day, and her brother had a bad ear infection, but we had a great time just the same.
i know it seems late to post this, but i so badly want to document this vapor of a life.  :)



we chose a crafty theme for the maturing girl.
she requested fish tacos and individual nutella cheesecakes.  
#todiefor!


certainly the ONLY way we ended up where we are today is by the grace of God.
and a whole lotta caulk.  because Lord knows, He had to fill in a multitude of gaps that i left along the way.
and He still is.


elly is so much like me it hurts sometimes.
i think that contributed to our clashing.  ok.  for surely it did.
she is a beautiful girl, inside and out, and she is just bursting with talent!
i'd like to say that she is a lot like me in her love of creating. ;)
we both come alive when we are able to 'make'.
she also has a very tender heart, the best kind.


can you even stand the wisconsin sweater?  i am SO making that but with the united states on it!
she did that all by herself, and the sewing is amazing!
also, she has been able to bless a few of my bloggy friends(and others) with these baby moccasins. 
aren't they the CUTEST?
she is a wonderful knitter, a gifted pianist, loving sister, daughter and friend.
family singspiration just would NOT be the same without her.




this season of my life with her has {by far} been the best ever.
we totally 'get' each other, we love to create together, and yes, we share favorite TOMS and certain clothes.
i can break out in, "i just called......to say....i love youuuuuuu!" with fake mike in hand at target and she only gets mildly embarrassed.  :)
hey, that's my job!


so today, and every day, i'm so thankful that God chose ME to be her mother.
watching her grow up has been my privilege and i am keenly aware of how quickly time is fleeting.
we may only have her for a few more years, and i plan on enjoying every little bit.
eye rolls and all.


i hope she never forgets Who she truly belongs to.
she was bought with a price, a very high One, and my prayer is that she will radiate that Life to all those she meets.

Lord, i thank you so much for blessing me with this rare and precious jewel of a daughter.
may YOU shine brightly through her and continue to fill in all of my gaps!

mama loves you, elly grace.

xo, 
mary



18 comments:

  1. Miss Mary! This is such a beautiful post!! Brought tears to my eyes. SO thankful for HIS caulk too (loved that illustration). Your daughter is so beautiful and is so blessed to have you as her mom. Who by the way looks WAY TOO YOUNG and HIP to have a teenage daughter. :) You are precious!!!

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  2. This is a great post. I really did enjoy this one. Your daughter is beautiful and so are you, a young Mama in deed. God hasblessed you.This reminded me of my daughter and I, she willbe thirteen this coming August. We craft together, shop together, have many of the same likings and perhaps her Pinterest board is better than mie too. Ha ha. I just have to say that this really made me ever more thankful for my girl and my boy as well wh was my guinea pig, now 18! Anyway. Thank you for this glimpse on your thoughts and sharing this pst about your girl. Have a lovely eek and a very blessed Thanksgiving!!!! Mica @ The Child's Paper/Frolicking Freckles

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  3. she seems like the sweetest girl ever! you are blessed to have a little girl like that. and yes, she's still a little girl...whether they like it or not ;)

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  4. Awww! What a sweet tribute to your lovely Elly! I love your way with words and your crafty hearts. You both are so incredible! And don't think that I missed that part about 7 still being your family member. i WILL be following up on that:)
    Xoxoxoxoxo

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  5. NO you do not look like you're old enough to have a teen, beauty! I can't believe you were married when you were 18! That's awesome! Cute party as well. Individual nutella cheesecakes? Sounds like winning to me! Such a beautiful teenage young lady :) Have a wonderful day, Mary!

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  6. I thank the Lord daily for the treasure he has given us. He makes no mistakes and He chose her for us. It has been my privilege to watch you both together. I look forward to all the Lord has prepared for her and back on what has been. Thank you Lord!!!!

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  7. I thank the Lord daily for the treasure he has given us. He makes no mistakes and He chose her for us. It has been my privilege to watch you both together. I look forward to all the Lord has prepared for her and back on what has been. Thank you Lord!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a blessing your sweet beautiful girl is!!! I so wish that I could know her(and you!) in real life! There really is just too much awesomeness in this post. I kinda cried my way through it too. Much of what you said about Elly is how I feel about my first born. I made so many mistakes. Faith and I are also painfully alike.
    I hope you and your lovely family have a Happy Thanksgiving! Lots of love friend!

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  9. love your heart and your honesty about the struggles and the mistakes you've made...
    you're so right...these first borns are who we do all our learning on. :)

    thankful for your sweet mother's heart...and for your sweet relationship with her.

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  10. Love this Mary. Motherhood is quite the journey. Wishing my girl and yours could hang out. I think they would be fast friends!

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