Growing Up with Lesson and Love

I took this picture of Emily this past Saturday morning. I was having her take pictures of me, so I could add a new picture to my Facebook page. Of course, after taking a few of me, she insisted that I take one of her. This is the picture.
I look at it in amazement because I see a little girl now - not my baby, not a toddler, not a preschooler. A girl with strong opinions and tastes (loves pink, jewelry and skirts), a girl who is emotional and so loving (she'll hug anyone if they will let her and I can't tell you how many kisses I get a day), a girl who has changed so much in a few years time (she was so inside herself due to language and social barriers - those barriers are broken, shattered), a girl who actually likes her brother (she introduces him to everyone she meets - even if they already know him), a girl who does look a lot like her mom at this age (yes, I admit she is a little Minnie me). Another thing that shows me how much she has grown are the lessons she's learned and started applying. An example would be the other day I asked her if she made a knocking noise, prior to checking at the outside doors, she said no. I don't think she realized that she actually made the noise with her chair until I opened both doors. As I sat back down at the dining room table, she came in and said "I'm sorry mom". I asked her why and she said "I lied, I did make the noise". As a parent, I was pleased that she had come to realize that by saying no she had lied, we had been talking to her about how when you say you didn't do something when you did, or did do something when you didn't, is really a lie a few months ago. Of course, I knew she was grasping the concept of lying when I told her one morning to tell Matthew she had school, when she didn't, so that he wouldn't be upset that we were dropping him off at his school. Yes, she looked at me and said, "But I'm not going to school, isn't that a lie". I was happy she learned the "lying" lesson but sad I got caught not "practicing what I was preaching" to her. What struck me about this door/noise instance was that Emily felt compelled to apologize for doing so. It reassured me as a parent that the lessons we are teaching Emily and Matt are getting in and making them into moral people. There are days as a parent you wonder if anything is getting through, if your are making huge mistakes, will your kids pick up all your bad traits and overlook the good, will they ever learn to be grateful for what they have, etc. You get the idea. As I see the little girl in this picture, I see the good that has been produced and know that there are many sources (God, mom, dad, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins -related by blood and those chosen as family -, teachers, friends, church teachers, babysitters, etc.) that contribute to her being the person she is and will become. To all of you let me say "thank you" for loving her, caring for her, praying for her and being a part of her life. I know that she is going to be a great person, one that will make mistakes, but is going to have an unbelievable teaching and support system for all her life. Thank you again for all you do for our little girl, Emily