Another Birthday :)

   This time of year is referred to as The Birthday Season in the Shaffer house. With Lee and I in August, Tori in early October and Bri sandwiched in the middle there, we spend about six weeks celebrating and recovering from the celebrations ;). This year has only been all the more exciting with the impending "mystery birthday" of baby #4 yet to be revealed. Bri says he has until midnight...

   Bri, our oldest, turns nine today. Wow, where has the time gone?! One more year to double digits!!!

Bri-1 day old

   Silly as it may sound, the thought that went through my head when I first held her was, "I'm going to have to teach her how to read!". It was a scary thought at the time but I'm happy to report she is now a proficient reader and has even been enjoying passing down that knowledge to Tori :).

   She loves chinese and mexican food, purple (the color), horses, writing (stories and letters), and her dolls (both the" live" ones (her sisters) and the less animate ones ;)).

   I'm often amazed at her insight and skill in many areas. I am so impressed at how quickly she picked up on knitting and the projects she has created with it out of her own head. She's already a better artist in many respects than I'll ever be, and it has been fun to watch her stories and letters "grow up" over the last couple of years. She can make a Maple Twist Coffee Cake all by herself and she's almost got cinnamon rolls down. She is such a help around the house and with her sisters. It makes me feel so good to see her helping out just because she wants to or because she notices a need, like when she sits down to play or read to her sisters to help "keep them quiet" because she's noticed "mom doesn't feel very good" :). I've loved sharing the Anne of Green Gables and the Little House books with her as well as the more serious The Hiding Place and it's sequel Tramp For the Lord. I love that her reaction to this new baby (well, after the initial jumping up and down) was to snuggle a nine-month-old Bethi and say, "Babies are such a delight, and we're getting another one!". When I saw the "Mom's Sidekick" T-Shirt at the store that she's wearing in the picture below I just couldn't resist, that is exactly what she is!!!

                  Bri-nine years later!                  

Sidekick: 1.A close friend. 2.An assistant. 3.My Bri :).

   Most importantly I have no greater joy than to see her walking in the truth (3 John 1:4). The verse that best fits as our family motto is 2 Corinthians 10:5, "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ". Bri has brought some thoughts into captivity that would never have crossed my mind! A while ago, after hearing the children's bible song "Who Built the Ark?", Bri came to me and said, "They are wrong! The bees didn't come swarming from the hive! There only would have been two of them because bees are too little to sacrifice and two bees can't swarm.". Sacrificing bees, isn't that a picture :). Just this week she sat down with Bethani and her bible and tried to explain to Bethani why she needs to stop, ummm, biting. Yes, we have finally gotten a biter, she's only accomplished her goal once though, poor Tori, and she hasn't tried it yet since. Anyway, it was sooo cute (Bri trying to reason biblically with a one year old, not the biting...)! The other day Lee assigned her to read Proverbs and pick out a verse for them to discuss and her insight into the verse that she shared at the supper table astounded me for her age! Not to mention the example in this recent post.

   I feel nothing but grateful that God allowed me to be her mother :).

Happy Birthday Bri!!!

We love you!!!