Happy Birthday Pepper!

My baby girl turned one this week.  My very first baby girl is one!  It has been a kind of intense year.  I've see life and death. I've changed careers.  I've had to confront all of the generational issues that having a girl is bringing up.  It's been good.  All of it.  Intense, but good.  All week I pondered on what I'd write about her and to her. When she's older (and now too) I want her to know just how precious she is to me and how much I love her and how much I have learned from her.  Alas, it is late and I don't have the words.  Suffice it to say having a girl is different than having all boys.  In some ways it is a million times harder.  With boys, I've been just winging it and saying, "Hey, Ken!  Is this what I'm supposed to do?!" But with a girl, there is so much I want for her.  I want her to love her body.  I want her to know how she is perfect just how she is.  I want her to know that being a mother and a woman (especially of God) is the greatest of all gifts and the greatest of all callings too.  I want her to be her own person.  I don't want her to carry around garbage and issues the way I have done.  I want her to be truly happy and for me to be all that she needs me to be.  Argh!  There is so much more to say about it too, but I love her (and all of my boys) beyond belief.  I'm so incredibly blessed to have each of them!  Alright, enough sap, bring on the baby!