Hopey Doodle Bug

There are some days when I look at pictures of my girls or think about them and feel totally overwhelmed with love for them. I wish that meant that I was a great mom and didn't yell or get frustrated with them, but there's still lots of progress I need to make there.

Yesterday, Hope brought home a book her class made for her. The title was "I'm special because..." and each page was a letter from a classmate with a picture they drew. Reading them made me smile. Some were just funny (like the girls who told her she had the best shirts) and others made me so stinkin proud of my Hope and the way she befriends others ( like the boy who thanked her for helping him adjust to a new school).

Hope is one of those kids that you know is destined for greatness. She is a leader. When she was 3 years old, we were in McDonalds and she wanted to play with a group of girls. When she asked them if she could join, they told her "No." As a mom, my heart broke and I was trying to figure out how to explain the meanness of others to her, but she came and sat down next to me and we were both quiet. After a minute, she got up and went to play. I kid you not--within 5 minutes all 4 of those girls were following her all over the play area. Not only was she playing with them, they were all doing what she wanted.

Hope is the kid I wanted to be. She is good at most things she does and she has a kind heart. She loves fiercely and is passionate about seeing justice prevail. She has the most beautiful features and her smile lights up everything around her. (I know I'm bragging, but this is my blog, so I get to say what I want.)

When I was pregnant and found out she was a girl, I began praying for a strong, passionate woman of God. There is no doubt that God has granted that prayer. As much as that strength frustrates me some days, I do know it will serve her well and am thankful for it. She will not be one to succumb to peer pressure just because everyone is doing it.

Watching her with her friends at school has been good for me. As her mom, I often focus on the negatives about her personality and forget to just delight in her. Seeing her interact with others makes me want to cry--she is so incredibly thoughtful and giving and just plain funny. She is well-liked and was voted "prettiest" in her class (although she didn't like that--she wanted most creative).

There is a verse that I have always considered Hope's:
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline."
2 Timothy 1:7

I absolutely adore my Hopey Doodle Bug and am so thankful that I get to be in her life!