Day 21: I'm Thankful for Amanda

I'm thankful for AMANDA:

Second in line, but never one to be second anywhere else, Amanda is "Miss Personality Plus." Anyone who knows Amanda knows that she is a fierce and faithful friend to the end, and that she never judges a person by what she sees on the outside. She judges from the heart - taking all the good qualities of a person and loving them unconditionally, while setting aside their shortcomings. This doesn't mean that she allows people to take advantage of her, though. She is just wise in positioning herself so she can love the person, but not let their faults interfere or cause harm to her, personally.

Amanda is the 100% "I do it myself" kinda girl. She actually put her little hands on her hips, stance spread, and told me this when she was a 2-year-old! I knew that we could be in for a bumpy ride in raising her. To my joy, I have learned that having headstrong children can be a great blessing. There is no possible way any of their friends are going to be able to influence them to do ANYTHING they don't want to do. The big challenge then, is to instill in the child/children the DESIRE to choose good friends, and make wise choices in the way they live their lives.

As Amanda grew, she had opportunities for leadership and growth. She has learned and prospered. Without the benefit of a college degree, she has gained positions of trust and responsibility in her career. If it needs to be done, she can figure out how, and do it!

As a mother, Amanda is loving, kind, firm, and fabulous! Iris is a joy to our family, and we all wouldn't know what to do without her. Although I'm sure she would have had the circumstances of Iris' arrival be a bit different, Amanda would not want to live her life without her beautiful, talented, brilliant Iris! Having a daughter gave Amanda a new perspective on life, and something more to live for. She is a blessing to her mother, and to her family as a whole.

Love and marriage have also been good for Amanda. After several years, and thinking that possibly marriage would not come for her, she reconnected with David. He is a kind, loving, and thoughtful addition to our family, and we are proud to claim him. I'm grateful that he loves my daughter, and shows it. I'm grateful that he loves Iris, and shows it, and is a good father to her.

I'm also glad that Amanda has been able to find a new job working at the El Paso Zoo. She is finding joy in her work, again, and it's a wholesome atmosphere to work in.

I love my family. I believe we decided who would be our family in the preexistence. Thank you Amanda for deciding to be part of my family. You know I will always be there for you - whatever you need, if I can do it, I will. I love being your mother!