Abundant Blessings - Part 1

This post is part 1 of a 2 part post. So make sure you scroll down and read part 2 after you read this one!

Sierra

As promised I'm featuring a different "big kid" each week since Slava seems to get all the attention! This week it's Sierra's turn. She is our precious, biological, 14 year old daughter. Sierra is full of creativity and energy! She's smart (a year ahead in school), loves to read (she's read every book on our shelves), is a creative writer, picture taker, video maker, bundle of entertainment! This girl gets her school work done and delivers it to me in a stack. I cringe because then I've got to check it all. She writes stories, well novels actually, thinking nothing of handing me a 10 page, typed (not doubled spaced), story and wants me to read it...like right now! Hence why I signed her up for an online high school writing course. Sierra loves to be active and wants to be doing something all the time: karate (2 days each week), missionettes, flagging, archery, babysitting, youth group, piano lessons, and getting together with her friends. I need a nap just thinking about all the stuff she does in a week! I am blessed too by her help with all the household chores. She does most of the laundry, most of the vacuuming & mopping, is solely responsible for cleaning one of our bathrooms, plus she loves helping with Slava. She even makes my bed mostly everyday, something I've never asked her to do. Oh how blessed I am when I step into my room mid-day and see my bed is already made!
Sierra is very talented on the piano and lives for Tuesday lessons and recitals. In March she will be participating in NYSSMA (New York State School Music Association) where her piano skills will be judged. She's also been trying her hand at teaching Sunday School and has signed up for her first missions trip! In August she will be part of a team from our church going to Cambodia to work with In His Steps International. About 6 years ago Wayne & Wayne Jr. made this trip, then 3 years ago Curtis and my dad went, and 2 years ago Wayne Jr. & Curtis went again. I was a little concerned about sending Sierra without a family member to accompany her, but then our daughter-in-law,Kerri, committed to go too. In His Steps is run by friends of ours from our church. You can check out their website at www.ihsionline.org

Well, Sierra is starting to sound like an angelic child. While she's pretty close, none of our kids are perfect! Mostly because they have imperfect parents. One flaw she has, I can never get her to go to bed and therefore, I can never get her up as early as I'd like in the morning...good thing we home school!

Remember to scroll down and check out the post "Abundant Blessings - Part 2." So much has been going on around here that I actually had to blog twice this week!