She's 8

Who can believe that 8 years have gone by since I was so huge I could barely waddle to the hospital, and they gave me and Skip this adorable little chubby baby to take home and raise?

I have to say that, while we have had no idea what we're doing, Maddie has turned out even better than we could have hoped. She is sweet and thoughtful. She is an encourager instead of a complainer or a critic. She is comfortable with herself and doesn't care if her socks match. She is bringing the most disastrous looking cupcakes (she helped decorate) to school today and says "who cares what they look like? they taste great!" She's got her own groove going, and not only does she like it, other people seem to as well. How could we ask for more?

She is a total slob, but that must be genetic as Mom has pictures of my room at that age that can rival Maddie's. Heck, Andrea Choate has pictures of our dorm room that could TOP Maddie's. She's a picky eater, but she's super healthy, so she must be getting the right stuff. And she often spends too much time thinking about what she wants instead of appreciating what she has, but I suppose that's a lesson we all struggle with.

We are very blessed indeed. I can't even begin to imagine what the next eight years will bring. I know they will not be boring!