Double Digits

There she was


Here she is


Our tenth child is ten. 02-22-2002 was a full ten years ago. I just responded to someone today who said, "The time just flies by," that it hasn't for me. Time just meanders along at an appropriately manageable pace (unless, of course, I'm facing a deadline). I look at the picture of my baby Lisa, my "Squishy" as she was called, and it really does seem like a decade ago. Time hasn't seemed to drag painfully on, but has been slow enough to make me feel like I've been a part of the lives of my growing children. Lisa is going to be a fun girl to grow with over the next ten years. She is full of life and spirit. She has struggled mightily with a complaining spirit, a negative attitude, and a need for control. But, she's growing and learning and, best of all, changing.

The day before her birthday she lamented (not usually a time for lamentations) that the bad thing about birthdays is that they only last one day and then they're over. She told me that other fun things don't end like that. For instance, if you go to an amusement park you can have a lot of fun for the day, but then it's still open the next day and the next if you want to keep going (never mind that we've never gone to an amusement park for consecutive days). Birthdays, however, just end after only one day. Thankfully, she got past her moroseness and had what she described as the best day of her life.

Except for one small part. Owen offered to play anything that Lisa wanted during the hours before her party. She chose a game and they were half way into it when they met a snag. They couldn't agree on a particular rule and Owen chose to quit the game (for understandable reasons considering the tone of the 'conversation'). Lisa was devastated and, after hearing out the situation, I concluded that I couldn't do anything to solve it. Increased devastation and torrents of emotion. But then, the breakthrough. Fifteen minutes later Lisa came to Owen and sweetly and humbly asked if he would play again with her and she would be willing to play by his rules.

I would have been stunned if I hadn't been so immensely proud of her. You can not know what an enormous hurdle this was for my girl. I had privately told Owen that I thought, considering that it was her birthday, he should have agreed to play by her rules in the first place AND I really believe that she was right (although I didn't tell them that). Yet, she chose to enjoy playing a game rather than sulking even if it didn't go her way, a way which she was convinced was right.

So, as I imagine the road of the next decade I can imagine a great deal of joy with Lisa.

Here are some highlights from her tenth year.

Aunt Lisa







Sister Lisa


With Dad between a wedding and reception...why not fish?!


Putt-putt on Mom's birthday


Camping in Glacier National Park


A 'sign' of Roger King's humor in Idaho (The sign reads "WARNING no fishing or diving from the bridge)

Roger took each of the children up for their first airplane ride.


Playing with the Pacific Ocean in Washington




Lisa was fascinated with the statues in Vancouver. It was like a life-size imagination land for her.


Softball



One of many swimming days close to home


At camp with Hope. They "met" in August of 2001, 6 months before they were born and have been friends even since.


Adventurous, determined, and tenacious--Lisa was the only child to make it to the top of the climbing wall that day.


Devoted big sister--just don't ask her to share her toy horses!


Friends gravitate to bubbly, friendly, out-going Lisa, but she loves to play by herself and get lost in her imagination world


My faithful gardening partner helping to plant a Kaylee Hope spring bulb garden


She made the cookies, she decorated the cookies...


...AND she cleaned up the mess without being asked!


Lisa's only frustration with having girlfriends is being teased about having boyfriends. And Lisa has a lot of boy friends. She likes to run and play and compete (a lot like her Mom and sisters, OK...exactly like her Mom and sisters) and she often thinks that boys are just more fun. But for now, this is as close to "boyfriend" as this girl gets.