Melissa: Age Nine

Today we went on a boonie-stomp - aka: an island hike. Directions here are well...not ever the best. They usually go something like: go down the road till you see the big palm tree with a K carved in it, take a left, then go until you see a "V" painted in the road then take a right. But since the last time that person went there the tree has been cut down and the road re-paved. Today we were to go 3.5 miles past the Talofofo River Bridge...but the problem is that none of the river bridges we past had names of the rivers on them. We finally just ditched the land-mark directions and used the car's compass and GPS...not that this is the best way either as we don't have a GPS here with maps (in fact I have yet to find a complete map of the island and the locals have no idea how to read one...seriously, I've been told that several times as I ask for directions with a map in my hand), so it's just the latitude and longitude numbers...but we made it to Malojloj Falls. We were deep in the jungle that's for sure!! But so beautiful!!

And the best part??? Once again on one of our hikes we did NOT see any brown tree snakes...a very good thing!

Today is Melissa's ninth birthday. I think all in all she had a good day. We actually celebrated last night. Her best friend here, Katherine, and her family came over for dinner. Her other good friend Frankie (yep - a girl named Frankie) was here as we were keeping her over night due to her parents being away from the base for the day. Her cake looked like a crown....for the princess she is!

Some of my best memories of Melissa:

age just 10 months or so - her running into church one Wednesday night just laughing, so happy with life

age two - sharing her french fries with William after he ate all of his his...what two year old shares her fries??!! What a generous heart.

age three - her and I trying on shoes at Value City Clothes...really high heels and very gaudy shoes, but we just laughed and had the time of our lives while the boys were looking at boy stuff.

age three - picking out a pumpkin and then immediately posing for I could take her picture

age four - so sad some days while waiting for William to return home from kindergarten

age five - starting school herself - so happy to be riding the bus with her big brother

age seven - driving up to church with Drew who was home from Iraq for his R & R and she says," Well, it took six months, but we FINALLY got daddy back to church!" Is that my sense of humor or what!??

age eight just after we got here to Guam - her sitting on the bench at the beach enjoying a snack and talking and talking about how much fun she just had snorkeling, "I could talk about this forever!", she said. Such a happy girl!!

I never thought I would be blessed with a girl - I thought I would have only boys, but God in His wonderful wisdom gave me a little girl that loves life and is always up for adventure to find something new...like waterfalls....and shopping....she's like her momma in that she's always up for shopping.

Thank you, Lord, for such a beautiful part of my like - our family wouldn't be complete with out her.