Life is wonderful and difficult... and I am grateful!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

My sweet Kaitlin


My Kaitlin is such a gift!
I often say that God knew what he was doing giving Elizabeth
the health issues (if one of us had to have them) because she
is so brave and tolerant. But He also knew (of course He did)
that Kailtin is exactly what our family needed.
Today Kaitlin received the character award for responsibility at school. This is the 3rd year she has been recognized for this trait. She IS responsible. And she is so much more.
I remember staring into her eyes when she was a baby and thinking "oh, this child has been here before." As a new mom, I felt like she was thinking "are you sure you should be doing this that way?!" When she was a toddler, she would look at me in such a way that I actually felt self conscious and sometimes "caught." Now that she is older, she uses words instead of stares to tell us when things are unjust or should be a certain way (most often a way other than we are doing them).
She is kind and sensitive and caring. She adores her brother and has always been such a wonderful playmate for him. She will lead finger-pistol shoot outs and orchestrate army wars for him. She can soothe her baby cousin's cries when I cannot. Kaitlin can find anything. I can't tell you how often someone in the family calls to her to find a lost earring, remote, shoe, ect. She loves order and I bet that when she is older she may become a lawyer or officer, as she expects things to be orderly and just. I have joked that I worry Liz will end up on the pole and Kaitlin will be the police officer arresting her. That just sums up the differences in their wonderful personalities! Kaitlin doesn't express emotion or cuddle often, but when she does, she does so in the best ways and means what she is saying or how she is holding you with all of her being. For two years it was all I could do to keep that girl looking clean and somewhat put together. She just didn't care what her clothes looked like or if her hair was brushed. I finally just made a rule that she had to try not to look homeless when she went to school or church! Kaitlin faints at the sight of her own blood and is a horrible patient when she is sick. She has a hot temper and is passionate about her beliefs. She has always been someone who stands back and assesses a situation before jumping in or joining. Katie loves science and to put things together. She likes to quote scripture. She seems to know who she is and never makes excuses for what she likes to do or what she believes. I love this about her. I love so much about her!

My sweet, sweet Kaitlin was given to me for so many reasons, but I am sure that the biggest reasons are to remind me to step back and evaluate things when life is chaotic, to remember to stand up for what I believe in, and to hold people I care about so close that words aren't needed.

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