2008 and Cabbage Patch Dolls.

Woo-hoo! A brand new year. Scary. Exciting. Let's get on with it! Well, my bible study class had the 80s party for New Year's and it was RAD, of course. We had a lot of fun and laughs, and that is always good. Last week, Kennedy lost ANOTHER tooth. Now she is missing four. She talks with a lisp and I don't see how the poor child eats, but she stays happy because that is mostly what I see...the lack of teeth in the big grin she is usually sporting. I don't feel that I am new at this mommy stuff, but I swear I am still amazed sometimes at what my girls can come up with and say on a whim. I am constantly saying, "How did you learn to do that?" or "Man, where did she get all that character?" Both of my girls are full of spunk but definitely have night and day personalities. We were talking at bible study this morning about Abram obeying God and doing what was asked of him, knowing that it was not his, but future generations that would benefit. It just got me thinking about parents and the sacrifices they make for the sake of their children. I have days where I wish I could do more for the girls, and they talk about all of these things their friends do, or things they want to do, and we don't have the money to do them. And although that gets in my head as a negative sometimes, I stop and think...that's ridiculous. Growing up, I never had money. We didn't go on vacations and we didn't have the best of clothes and toys. Out of my whole memory of childhood, there is only one thing I can remember wanting so bad and never got, and that was a Cabbage Patch doll. Obviously, I didn't suffer from not getting it. But now my girls have them. They've had them for a while now. They sit on a shelf and are never played with. They don't care if they have a Cabbage Patch Doll or not. I can remember making a dollhouse out of a cardboard box and decorating with magazine pictures. I remember playing crash up derby on bicycles. Yes, me, my sister AND my MOM! I remember never feeling hungry or never feeling like no one was there for me. Between God, Mom and my sister, I knew I was loved, and loved generously. I am so thankful now for that background. It was hard to face it back in the day. When you don't want to be dropped off at the mall because your truck is 2 colors plus rust and black primer, or you don't want to go on a date because someone would have to pick you up at your trailer. But in the end, it made me who I am and made me understand what is important for me and for my girls. I would sacrifice anything to let them have the important things in life. Love, respect, responsibility, character, strength, security, a strong sense of self and Christian beliefs. My number one priority in life is to, of course, obey and honor God. But giving the girls what they need...those important things... I have and do and will always continue to make that my number 2 priority in life, no matter what sacrifices I have to make. I would imagine any parent feels the same. And does that mean I would give up my diet coke money for a cabbage patch doll? Sure, maybe. But not for the doll...for one more chance to make a toothless grin on the face of my daughter. There's just no match to what that does for my heart.