Journaling Challenge...02/15/2006

Today's challenge, and I feel well enough to complete it...List your immediate family members and share what you admire most in them. Where to begin?

Mom - I admire that while we were growing up I never KNEW that we didn't have a lot of money, I always felt like we had anything we needed, and that was because she knew how to run our home and make our money stretch. Oh, and she had a mad talent for creating Barbie clothes out of old clothes :)

Dad - I admire that he has gone to a crappy job for 30 years to support us/himself, even though he'd rather do a million other things. He taught me about responsibility more than he'll ever know.

Jill - What's not to admire? She's an amazing and PATIENT mom. She makes me feel like I can do anything in the world with her support.

Susan - I admire that Susan is big enough to stand up and take her lumps, and that even while she's in prison, she's trying her hardest to be a mom to her kids from there with letters, phone calls, and our visits. She is determined that Nick and Kaila will know that she loves them very much.

My kids - I admire them for the way they effortlessly integrated Nick and Kaila into our home, that they realize it is something we need to do, and have made the adjustment so much easier by being completely understanding about it.

My husband - I admire that he's taken on two more kids, actually HE suggested it. I admire that he does an awesome job maintaining order at a school of 700 or so kids, and they LIKE him for it. I admire that he battled cancer bravely and won. I admire that he is willing to work on our marriage and make sure that WE succeed. I admire that he's dedicated to his kids, willing to get down on his knees and wrestle with them, willing to sit down and talk about serious issues with him, and willing to discipline them when it's not the easiest thing to do, but necessary to teach them something.

The list could go on and on, but there are six kids that need to get in bed QUICK!