Sing it, Elton!

Post #6: This post is supposed to be five people that mean a lot to you. Too easy! I am going to skip over the expected ones (sorry Bo) and instead choose five people that I don't write about all the time, and just for a little bonus, I'm even gonna tell you why! And in the words of Elton John, "I hope you don't mind that I put down in words... how wonderful life is while you're in the world."

1. Mrs. Cara is the best. Not only did she take fabulous care of you for that important first year of your life, but it is so great to have a friend that understands the phase of life that you are going through. Someone who listens to you complain and says they feel the same way some times. But rather than just listening and moving on, she is the type of person that encourages and makes you smile. She is generous and giving and thoughtful. She is exactly the kind of woman that I hope you grow up to be.

2. Beth Moore. I know that we have never even met in person, which makes this kinda crazy. But her bible studies have forever opened my eyes to the wonders of God's word. How it can totally give me goosebumps with the miracles of its consistency over thousands of years. How it can warm my heart and make me feel that a passage is a love letter just for me. How it can bring tears of joy or tears of conviction. I love studying the Bible with her and love how she is never fake or pretentious about who she really is, good and bad.

3. Mrs. Danielle is such an example to me of following God's leading in your life. She is a great mom to two wonderful boys and is overflowing with love and passion for orphans around the world. She loves to be part of international missions and is giving and loving to all of God's children. She inspires me to believe that each day is a chance to love others like God loves us - unconditionally. She is always an uplifting person to be around and I love sharing bible studies with her. I am truly grateful that our families have become closer and I look forward to watching our kiddos grow up together!

4. Dr. Kara is like my fabulous big sister here in San Antonio. She likes to tease me that I am way too young and that she is so much older, but really I don't think of it that way at all! She is a dedicated counselor, super college professor and always-on-the-go mom to two precious girls that we love. She is my constant source of encouragement and fun, the person that best understands the ups and downs of my marriage and personality, and yet she still tolerates me. I love that she is the most outgoing and friendly person I have ever known (and can't go anywhere without seeing someone she knows and MUST talk to). She is kind enough to let us borrow their extended family since ours is often far away, and she is often self-depricating so that you are not intimidated by her fabulosity. (Yes, she is so amazing that she gets made up adjectives.) She would certainly tell you that she is not perfect and always put together, but I think she is pretty darn close.

5. Your Grammy is the most amazing woman. She is so smart and creative when it comes to teaching her students at school. She is no-nonsense when it comes to expecting the best from them. She works hard to bring in extra grant money and provide new and challenging experiments that have really helped their school improve their test scores. She is really building up a reputation around their school district as that lucky science lady that does such a good job. But most of all, we love her for the glue she is to our family. She is always so generous with her home, her time and her money. She loves to just spend time together, even if there aren't any major plans. She is strong in her faith and has learned such independence and self-reliance. She is the person that will always mean the most to me.