Introducing Charity!

This is Our Sweet Charity!

It's her birthday week so I thought it would be a fun time to introduce her.
Charity is number 7 of the 9 crazies.

The best thing about Charity is that 

she really is as sweet as she looks.

She is such a special young lady and makes our 

home a very happy place.

 There are so many things I love about Charity.
You know those kids you meet
who are just good, through and through?

Well, that's Charity.
She is just good.
Through and through.

 She is loving, gentle and has a built-in solid desire to do what's right.
She is smart, funny and incredibly forgiving.

She loves her family and loves serving us with thoughtful actions.
She is clever and creative.
She loves to bake and loves any little art project you can think up for her. Everywhere you look, you can find samples of Charity's artwork. My favorite is hanging in our entryway. It's a large painting she did at school, and when I see it, I can't help but smile.

She is thoughtful of others and is my most helpful buddy when it comes to doing random acts of kindness. She is an absolutely amazing little girl, who teaches me and helps me to be a better person.

The best thing about Charity is that she truly is an example of everything that her name means.

The happy faces of Charity.

One of the things I love most about Charity is that 

she is the "little mother" in our home. 

She reminds me so much of myself when I was her age. 

All Charity wants to be is a mother, and she has gotten a lot of practice with Luke and Lucy.

She's very good to them, and tries in her best ways to teach them and guide them to do what's right. She is gentle and loving with them and they seek her out. 

There aren't words to describe how grateful I am for that. I believe that she will always be a powerful influence for good in their lives. 

She really is wonderful.

I am also so grateful for the way she has loved Keely. 

She made a decision from day one that she was going to love Keely. And she hasn't waivered. She has been patient with Keely's struggles and in many ways has taken care of Keely. She forgives, she loves, she encourages, she protects and has been one of the greatest blessings to ever enter Keely's life.

And I love her so much for that.

She's also a total Daddy's girl.

She loves him.....and he loves her.

All she has to do is smile and his heart melts.

As a parent, you don't love any child more, but you love them all differently. And there's something very special that Charity and Ricky share. It's a special connection that is very unique to them. And it's just theirs.

No matter how old she gets, she will always be his little sweetie.

When I first got here, Charity was 4 years old.

It's strange to think that she was that young.

I look back at pictures and I realize how much time has gone by.

Look how little she was!

She was absolutely darling then.

And she is just as darling now.

I can't tell you how much I love this little girl.

But, she just turned 11 and I'm realizing that she's not so little now.

She really is becoming quite a spectacular young lady, and it's been fun to watch her go through that process. I have watched her grasp on to things that are important and have seen her actively make choices that are good. Not because she's told to, but because she really wants to. 

One of my funniest memories about Charity happened when I first moved here. She was only 4 years old, but had spent all day, every day with Ricky driving around town. He was a builder, so she got to know the town very well. On mornings after dropping everyone off at school, Charity and I got to spend a lot of time together. I was completely lost on a regular basis, and as soon as I would go to take a wrong turn, Charity would yell from the back seat, "Stepmother! STEPMOTHER! You're going the wrong way! Turn THAT way!" I would just laugh and laugh. Eventually, she learned my name. But, it has never been "Veronica"...... it's been "Vronka", said lovingly with her cute little accent.

Oh how I love this little girl. She has firmly planted herself right in the middle of my heart, and I am a better person because of it. She is a very important part of my life and I am very grateful for who she is. She is a treasure to each of us and plays a vital role in our family. She loves everyone.....and everyone loves her.

Today, I'm thankful for Charity.
And I'm so thankful she is in my life.