Olivia Ruth Hussey

I've been thinking a lot lately how blessed I am to be a mom and even more then that, how blessed I am to be the mom to these beautiful girls that the Lord has blessed me with. So I wanted to share with all of you some of the wonderful things about my daughters that I just love about them. I'll start with Olivia (obviously because she is the oldest) and Taryn in a day or so.

1. Can't you tell by the picture how absolutely BEAUTIFUL she is! Sometimes I catch myself just staring at her and thinking how pretty she is.

2. Along with #1 she has the most amazing smile! It just lights up her entire face and stretches from ear to ear. She is really photogenic (she did not get that from her mommy!)

3. She is very observant. She can remember things that happened a year ago. I don't really know if that is common among 4 year olds, but she has the memory of an elephant. We'll be talking about something or drive by something that will spark some memory and tell us about it. It just amazes me!

4. She is so polite. EVERY night at dinner she'll say to me "Thank-you for making dinner mommy" or she'll ask me or Beau who bought her one of her toys and if we tell her it was one of us she'll say "oh, thank-you daddy for buying it for me." If it was a family member that got it for her she'll ask us if she thanked them already for it. She's so sweet and thoughtful.

5. She has such an imagination. She can spend so much time by herself pretending. Beau and I will just listen to her make up stories (usually involving a princess) and acting it all out. If she catches us watching her she'll get this giant grin on her face and she'll say "I was just playing".

6. She is very articulate except for two words. All we have to do is tell her the proper way to say words once and she'll say it correctly (she's always been like that) except for two words. No matter how many times we tell her she refuses to call a computer a computer instead it is a 'cutaputer' and a hamburger is a 'hangaburger'. I don't know why these 2 words are singled out but it's cute anyway.

7. She loves to learn. She is always asking my what letters things start with, how old people are and wanting to know as much about things as she can. I know it is typical at this age for them to be interested in letters and things, but it's fun to see it first hand with her.

8. She has a very sweet soul. Even with her little sister tormenting her on a regular basis she refuses to fight back, even when we tell her it's okay. She is always concerned when I am not feeling well (which has been often since I've been pregnant) and is the first one to run to me or Beau to give our owies a kiss if we've hurt ourselves.

9. She loves to feel pretty, but can be found in a pile of dirt! She asks to wear a dress everyday, but can be found in the backyard making sand castles and trading sand showers with her sister. She hates to get her hands dirty with icky things, but will jump in any puddle she sees. She is quite funny with the things she chooses to be scared of the things she isn't.

10. She loves to sit and watch "making shows" with me. Her favorites are, Paula Deen and Semi-homemade. She always points out if they are using something that I have used, ingredients or a kitchen appliance/tool. She loves to help me cook and I love that she loves to sit and snuggle with me while I watch.

11. She is so obedient....most of the time. These days she very rarely gets in trouble. We usually only have to tell her once and she minds herself. She does have a little problem with tattling, but mostly she just does what she is asked. She is a big help and always says "coming mommy/daddy" when we call her. I am so glad we have gotten through those tough 2's with her.

Many of you know that when we first moved to Florida I had a real struggle with her. It was a really rough period of time for our little family and felt like such a failure as a mom. But now I am just so lucky and grateful to have such a wonderful daughter. She is so special and such a delight to be around. There are so many more things I love about her and I am so lucky to be able to watch her grow and become the special young lady that she will be. I don't mean to sound boastful or bragging, I know all of us mom's think the world of our children and I am no different. Olivia has brought such joy and a lot of laughter to our family and I just love her so much!