About Abby...

Much has been said lately about my eldest daughter, Jessi and her new daughter, Sveta. Yesterday I marveled at how quickly Michael grew up and my amazement at how fast time seems to go these days. Today I focus my attention on my youngest child. Abby has a heart of gold. You will not find a more kind, giving, loving person anywhere. She suffers great angst when she deals with people who are not kind, selfish or downright mean to her and others. Unfortunately for her, the world is full of mean, selfish people. Abby was a very spirited child. She loved to climb. It was a daily occurrence to find her standing on the dining room table. She was also a very stubborn child. She wanted things her way or no way at all. When she was very small she was frequently sent to her room (for any number of offenses) where she would throw a tantrum. When she calmed down we would go in and ask if she was ready to come out and follow the rules. She would scream, "No!" and launch into tantrum part II. And so on... Abby was strong willed for sure. Abby is our little talker. Both of her parents are introverts and are sometimes challenged to take in everything she puts out there. When Abby tells a story... she TELLS a story. Every moment is described in great detail. We are working on summarizing skills. Let's just say it's a work in progress. We sometimes have to tell her to "take a breath" when a story gets too lengthy. She doesn't like us telling her that, but sometimes our ears can only handle so much. Today you'll find a different Abby living in my house. You'll find a young lady that has her parents wishing she had more confidence in herself. Abby is kind, smart and pretty. She has yet to learn this is a deadly combination. You'll find a young lady who stresses over her school work. Any grade that drops below an A+ is unacceptable to her (very much unlike her brother, Mr. a "C" is good enough for me!). You will find a very loyal young lady who would do anything to help a friend. You will find a young lady not afraid of hard work and one who has held a part-time job since 8th grade. Abby is going to do big things with her life. I don't know what God has planned for her, but I know it's something important. She'll probably have about 10 kids and be a great mother. She already has the qualities people see in wonderful mothers. But before all of that, Abby has three more years of high school. Then I'm sure she'll go away to college and our nest will be empty. This is not a day I look forward to. But it is a day that inevitably must happen.