The White Queen Reigns!

Today, I am thankful for my girl.   I still can't believe God chose me to be her mom.  What a precious gift she is to me. 

Before becoming a mom, I never knew I could love the way I do.  So powerfully, so completely, so unconditionally. 

It's so wild to watch someone so attached to your heart walk around outside of your body.  Making choices,  doing their own thing, becoming their own person.  And, as they get older, they make those choices and do their own thing without you. 

It's astonishing to sit back and watch your babies grow up and become their own people.  It's was amazing when she was two, and she started getting her own little attitude personality, and it's still amazing to me as she reaches almost ten. 

Just a few years ago, we were struggling to find something that was "her thing".  Something she enjoyed doing.  She didn't even have to be good at it, I just wanted to see her enjoying herself and doing something that she felt confident doing.  We had tried all kinds of sports.  Cheer leading, dance, and gymnastics were even thrown in the mix.  But after a few months, it was the same story over and over.  "I don't like this",  "I'm not good at ______ like ______is",  "I feel stupid when I try ______".  And then she would beg to quit. 

Then she tried out for a play in our town.  She got a very small part, but she loved every second of it.  After that, she tried out for the school play.  She didn't get a speaking roll for that play, but surprisingly, after initial disappointment, she loved being apart of the production.  She kept saying how fun everything was, how she loved trying new things,  and how she was always learning something new.  

In theater, she is always happy with what she is doing, and always wants to go back again.  She is always looking forward to what the next show will be. 

This year, she got one of the three main rolls in the school's production of "Through the Looking Glass".  She was the White Queen!  This was the roll she wanted from the first time she read through the script.

Today, I got to see my baby girl doing her "thing" and it was amazing.  To watch her perform, and see her joy and confidence in what she was doing, made my mama heart swell with pride.  I sat watching her, dumbfounded, at how awesome she was.  My normally quiet, introverted, submissive girl was on stage, in front of a gymnasium full of adults, and she was on fire!   She never missed a beat. 

I'm so thankful for this sweet little girl, and who she's becoming.

Here are some pics from this weekend:

So beautiful and grown up looking here:

"You know what they say about curiosity."

 She had a very small solo in the song "Jabberwocky".

My shy girl, getting her groove on during the song "Responsibilities".

The final song:

 And she takes a bow:

Doesn't she just glow?

Amazing.

So. Incredibly. Thankful.