Happy Birthday, Jeni!

About 1999

Kissing Devin!

It is so hard for me to comprehend the fact that my little girl is 28. Yep - she turned 28 today. It seems like yesterday - literally that I was arriving at the hospital in the middle of the night with what I thought might be labor pains. After a long 5 hours (o.k., sorry all you marathon birthers - but for a first time mom 5 hours was plenty long!) there she was in all her pink (actually red) glory! She was 9 lbs. 6 oz. and 21 inches long. Had tons of dark black hair. And the most beautiful eyes I'd ever seen! Those eyes looked right through me and into my heart and that was it - I was completely hooked. And I have been ever since. I love this sweet young woman with all my heart and soul. We've been through a lot together - her and I. I was 20 when she was born and for a lot of women that would be old enough to settle down and be a good mom. I'm afraid I probably should have waited another 12 years. It took me a long time to grow up, but Jeni hung in there with me (like she had a choice, I guess) and I think it's turned out good. Not only is she my daughter - but she is my friend. I love being with her so much. I never get tired of her. She has a list of wonderful traits that could take me all day to talk about, but a couple really stand out for me.
First and foremost she is definately her own person. She knows what she likes, what she wants and she doesn't settle for less. She is very comfortable in her own shoes and knows her value as a human being and as a woman.
She is funny. I mean really, really funny. She says the funniest things at the most perfect times. She makes me laugh probably more than anyone else I know.

She loves her family - Her husband and her kids and her extended family. Jeni is definately a team player when it comes to family duties and activities. She and her family attend almost all of Chad's baseball games. They come to all family dinners. She is so good to show love and support to her (and Dan's) entire family.
She is a hard worker. She comes by this fairly naturally - the women in my family are all hard workers - but it does a mom good to see her daughter work really hard for things she wants. She's teaching this important quality to her children and I'm so glad.
She's got a tender heart. Her brothers (and sometimes her sisters) would probably think I'm crazy to say this about her, but it's true. She covers up that tender heart a lot of the time - but believe me, it's there.
I could definately go on, but I'll stop there and just say that this little girl saved me. I had her at a time in my life when I really needed some grounding and something (or someone) else to think about besides myself. She did it. Thank you Jeni for being my girl - I am so thankful that you are my daughter and I love you so very much.
Happy Birthday - Jeni Lyn.