Turning Eight

My little girl is turning eight today. I can't believe that time has flown so fast since the first time I saw her. She was my first. She was the one I never put down. The one I gazed at for hours. The one I kept the house super quiet for. I boiled every bottle, spent 2 months pumping and then feeding her before she finally nursed on her own, and kept the house so hot that people wondered if we were trying to incubate an egg (it was winter in Utah and I worried she would catch cold). I found black and white images that I would show to her, took her outside to feel the bark on a tree or the grass on her feet, and took her for a walk every night so she would fall asleep in our arms. Her Dad carried around anti-bacterial soup in his pocket which he would make everyone use before touching her. As much as I had planned, and read, and prayed, I was not prepared for her in the slightest. Every experience was new and wonderful and tiring and gave me a little glimpse of what heaven must be like. When we had her we were in a one bedroom apartment with no money, school classes, and three jobs between us. I have never, ever once regretted having her as early as we did. Today she reaches the age of accountability. She is heading into her own with strength, kindness, and a testimony of God. I hope in the coming years I can be an example and a guide as she continues to teach me something new every day.

Eliora - Hebrew, Light from God (variation of Elohim)
Sarah - Princess
Born: November 18, 2001