Maddie: 76 Months

Dear Maddie Mae,

This month was jam-packed with Maddie goodness. We started off with your first violin recital. It was an absolute joy to see you pull off an A Major scale. You've been asking to play the violin since you were 3 1/2. We waited until your 6th birthday to surprise you with lessons. At first it was fun and exciting but quickly the daily practice turned monotonous and frustrating. With much consternation, we walked you through a few months of practice, practice, practice. And, it all paid off. You were amazing. That little bit of confidence gave you just the boost you needed, and now you're playing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" for anyone who will listen. :)

Also this month you found "Lizzie" the alligator lizard in our trash compactor. I can't imagine what it must have been like to open it up and see him/her? sitting there, all eleven inches of him. You SO wanted to keep him as a pet, but a quick google search and facebook inquiry let me know it was no easy task to keep such things alive. But for one brief afternoon, Lizzie lived in our butterfly home, entertaining us with his beautiful coloring, long tail, and calm demeanor. We let him go in our backyard and you and Sam watched as he quickly made his way along the fence. I absolutely love your enjoyment of God's creation and your fearlessness.

On a family trip to the beach, you were the one doing the entertaining, with your tan. strong body jumping in the cold Pacific. It is pure joy to see you in your element, enjoying this great green earth, unashamed to frolic and yell and throw yourself completely into your play. It's so refreshing. You are a marvel, Maddie Mae.

At one point a few weeks back, you were doing some Kindergarten worksheets when you exclaimed, "Homework is the BEST!!!" I made you repeat it, for a video, as I hope to play it over and over in the years to come, when you (and I) are complaining about the same responsibility. But the truth is, you love school, you excel in your subjects, and you just plain love homework. It sure makes things easy for me.

Probably my favorite moment from the month was witnessing the love of Christ pouring out through you. You truly are a friend to the friendless. Some folks recently moved here from out of state. Their oldest, a girl your age, is shy and wasn't so sure about the move or her ability to make friends in a new, strange place. Without any prompting from us, you reached out to her immediately, welcomed her in, and befriended her in your classic Maddie style. After just two days with you, your new friend's mom told me just what an impact you'd had on her girl. By reaching out in love and hospitality, you showed this sweet girl that she could indeed make new friends in this strange new place. As we shared this with you, both Daddy and I teared up. God has gifted you so perfectly for a ministry of love, welcome, and hospitality.

At six, you know far too many words to the song "trouble" by Taylor Swift. You've lost one tooth and are well on your way to losing number 2. You are kind and welcoming but also still a bit sassy and opinionated. You are a tremendous help with your baby brother and sometimes hard on your middle brother. You are sweet and funny and an absolute joy most of the time. We love you so much, lovely girl.

Love,

Mama