Ashlyn Rose

And there she was.
She was tiny and perfect. She had what looked to be two perfect little dimples on either side of her face that had to have been carefully etched by God himself. Beautiful blue eyes, perfect complexion...
She was the first baby I ever really held. The first baby I ever loved. Before then, kids were these little creatures whom I wanted nothing really to do with. I never was one of those people who saw a baby and wanted to hold it. I was the one that when a little kid would come up to them, I would search around the room in panic looking for someone to make them go away.
She taught me how to be a mom. She gave me the security that I was totally capable of caring for someone other than myself.
She was my princess and still is.

And yesterday was her first day of school.

Ashlyn has exceeded all my expectations for her. She is absolutely beautiful, which I always knew she would be. However she always has such a beauty that radiates out from inside. She is caring, and sweet. Smarter than any 5 year old I've ever met. She learned how to read this past summer and is already advanced into 2nd grade reading levels.
And what's even better is that her favorite presents are books! That used to be (still is) my favorite presents when I was younger! Yeah she's a nerd like me! She reads all the time. Yesterday she got a bookmark in her new student packet and started jumping up and down yelling, "Just what I've always wanted" and ran and got her Bible which she has been reading and replaced the paper receipt which has been marking her place with her new bookmark. She was so thrilled.
Last week I got her four different chapter books that are on a 2nd grade reading level and she's already read two of them, totally comprehending everything.
She is such a wonderful sister and cousin. She mothers Lyric in the sweetest ways possible. She is Lyric's favorite person as Lyric always wants to go see "Ash".

My sister Courtney said she was so nervous yesterday morning. Nervous to make new friends, nervous to meet her teacher, nervous just to be growing up if you ask me.
But boy should you have seen her when she got home. The first thing she did when I saw her was she ran to me yelling, "Dee I LOVE school!" That just made my heart soar a bit.

So now she has started the track I know all of my nieces/nephews/daughter/son will follow... it's exciting and scary all at the same time. Exciting that they are expanding their minds. Learning and taking in the world around them. They will start developing opinions about society, history, theories and music. I love that.
But then it's scary as you hope that you have raised them right. That when they experience new ideas and thoughts that differ from how they were raised, that they will stand true. That they will be open and dialogue with you if they have questions. That they will know right from wrong and always stand up for the person who is being wronged.

I'm proud of my little girl Ashlyn Rose. She is now in Kindergarten. She's amazing.