she'll turn 18 on valentines day
18?
where did that one go?
am i really old enough to have an 18 year old?
wasn't i just 18?
my sweet friend kim posted recently about how much
she loves the current age (4) of her daughter kate.
that is indeed such a precious age and was one of my favorites too.
i've enjoyed (almost-wink) every age as my daughters have grown up.
but honestly, 17 would rival almost any.
what a fantastic time in savannah's life
full of excitement &
on the brink of much potential.
she updated her resume this week
for an upcoming job interview.
i came across it the other day
& honestly it stopped my in my tracks.
two pages full of accomplishments
most of which i am aware of
but honestly a few i didn't even know.
it's all i can do to refrain from sharing
all the things she listed.
i'm serious.
i don't want to be an obnoxious mom who thinks their child is perfect
but i was blown away.
i was thinking
& getting choked up ~
as i do every. single. time. i think of her leaving
for college in just a few months,
when i realized
we made it.
she made it.
that brown eyed baby girl
who was just a little thing watching her daddy slip from this earth
in what seems sometimes like yesterday.
oh how he loved her
& was always so proud to show her off
to everyone!
he was a good looking , smart , athlete
who loved the lord.
& she has turned out exactly the same.
to witness over these 17 years
the amazing , brilliant, gorgeous, godly young woman
she has become
makes me nothing but the proudest.
i think i get emotional
every.single.time
i think of her leaving
because it symbolizes so much for me.
feeling completely vulnerable with 3 baby girls
years ago
& now to see where the Lord has brought us
humbles me in ways i can barely verbalize.
SMK
you might not be a perfect person
but you are the perfect daughter for me
& baby girl
you have done well!
she's on the edge of 17.
it is going to break my heart to see her walk away
& out of our little life- as- we've- known- it that day.
but i know she will accomplish
many
& great things
in the years ahead of her
& that fills me with more joy
than a mom's heart can bear to hold.
Oh my dear friend you write so beautifully and remember you were there to guide her too so of course she is amazing...Your photography is just incredible...and she is so, so beautiful...Kirstie starts uni in just over 5 weeks now... but we have a few months till she turns 18...Kirstie and I usually end the night snuggled up on her bed watching re-runs of gilmore girls...I think 17 is oh so lovely too!!!! love you and miss you heaps c xxxx
ReplyDeleteWOW...I fully understand what you are saying about your daughter...my youngest and only daughter turns 18 on the 26th this month. I have been writing her a letter and to put into words the love I have for her and how proud of her I am brings tears every time I start to write. Can't believe May will be and she will be Graduating High School and moving away to Collage. You said it perfectly "She made it" Enjoy the next few months they will go by as fast as the last 17. I know I will be with my daughter .Kaitlyn
ReplyDeleteThank you,
Paige
Your words are so lovely as your daughter and your story.... I enjoy visting your blog it always leaves me with a pleasant feeling.
ReplyDeleteOh, Paige, I have tears in my eyes just reading this. Simply beautiful!
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful words for such a beautiful person! You are a proud mom, and have every reason to be! Thanks for making me smile!
ReplyDeletePaige, Savannah is beautiful. It's a kind of beauty that shines from the inside out. She is exactly what our world needs. She has a light that is sometimes lacking in teenagers today and I just know she is going to excell at what path she choses. Great job Paige, I'm so inspired by you.
ReplyDeleteStunning photos!
xoxo
Nancy
eloquently written.. You all have weathered the storm and you "did good girl" and she is a product of your strength, your faith, your love and of course your late husband. You are a very strong woman, I think you were her perfect role model!
ReplyDeletewow. Wow. Wow! What gorgeous shots of Savannah. And your words! I love your words. :) My girl is half Savannah's age... ahh.. You have made me me more conscious of paying attention and being in the moment WITH her. I always love coming here to see you and your beautiful family and to hear your words. I look forward to it everyday! :)
ReplyDeleteRoxanne
I LOVE the pic right before the one of her walking away...all of them are fantastic...but that one is just so gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your heart...the joy you have is such an encouragement. She is blessed to have a sweet mom like you! I'm not joking when I say this...I hope I grow up to be a mom like you! :-)
Si sweet, Paige. The responses I got to my post made me relaize that i will love every age too because I love HER! Four is just really fun! I cannot imagine being on the edge of where you are...there must be such mixed emotions...JOY, relief (that you made it and she is in a good college:), sadness that she'll be gone etc. I only have 5 more years with Will and I know it will go in a blink.
ReplyDeleteSavannah is a beautiful girl and I can tell that her inside beauty equals her exterior beauty. The Lord has big plans for her.
You are such a wise Christian woman and a role model for so many (including me). Thank you for sharing it all with us.
I mean Hi , sweet Paige. I am a terrible typist but eve worse before coffee:)
ReplyDeleteoh girl it tears my heart out. i can't even fathom that day. He will give you the grace you need when it comes...find comfort in that promise! btw she's absolutely beautiful:)
ReplyDeleteOh Paige....
ReplyDeleteWhat a beauty - inside and out. Such an amazing outpouring of your love and a testiment to what an honor and privilege it is that God blesses us with the very moment we become a mother. How He can entrust with us such precious gifts for safe keeping still stops me still in my tracks each time I think about the blessings that come from children. I thank you for your heartfelt email response to me last week. As I mentioned to you in my note - this is one of those bittersweet moments in your life that brings a tear to me. I agree 17 is a beautiful age. I can just feel you bursting with pride - as you should be.
<3
Job well done Mom & Savannah! I get teary eyed when I think my daughter will be heading off to college in 3.5 years . . . I can't imagine if it were in just a few months. All your daughters - and you - are just absolutely beautiful, inside and out.
ReplyDeleteShe is so beautiful...just like her mamma!:)
ReplyDeleteI try to cherish each moment with my girls. {Even through the fighting and temper tantrums:} because I know this day will come sooner than I hope. I pray that I will be able to convey my feelings about my daughters as tenderly as you have spoken of Savannah.
Blessings and love to you, my friend. Many. Many. Blessings.
XO,
Melanie
Oh Paige, this one really did it for me, totally bawling now. Lip quivering, nose tingling, crying! She's a beautiful soul, just like her Mama! You have every right to be proud of her!!! xo
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post. I have a son that is turning 18 in April and also heading off to college. It is a bitter sweet time. I am in awe of your blog and photography and your life "story". Your family is beautiful - thanks for sharing. p.s. I have a Savannah too :)
ReplyDeleteI have just discovered your blog this weekend and believe it or not have just discovered blogs in the last month> Oh my how exciting to find so many more charming,God fearing,kid loving women in the world!! i have been hypnotized by your pictures!! As a wanna be photographer seeking help, would you mind sharing what your favorite lens you use to make your backgrounds blurry. I realize there is so much more to it than that but at least perhaps I could start with the right equipment or perhaps I all ready own it and haven"t got the know how! Thank you for sharing your life out loud!
ReplyDeleteCynthia PS if you've all ready done this just point me to the correct post> I've scrolled through tons and tons and loved each and every one but didn"t find anything on your photography! again thank you so much!!
Paige:
ReplyDeleteI have completely enjoyed your blog, thank you for sharing your life and greatest loves with me.
I would love to hear more about the girls purity rings. Would you photograph them? When did the girls get them? Did they help pick them out? I guess I have a few questions... :)
Beautiful images Paige of sweet Savannah!
ReplyDeleteI adore this girly! She is more beatiful in her soul beyond her beauty outside. Just love her and admire how she is living her life.
Oh my, Paige. What a heartfelt post. And I also just watched your little video on the side. YOU, my friend, are REALLY LIVING. You're a huge role model for those of us a few steps behind. By the grace of God, I know, but an inspiration none the less!
ReplyDeleteLove the snowy barn photos! And I love that you tell your girls how proud you are of them for all the world to see. They must feel ten feet tall!
Happy Monday!
Linsey
Beautiful. All of it. Your daughter, your words, your photography & your story. Bravo momma!
ReplyDeleteI could tell you this everytime you post pictures...but your girls are just beautiful from the outside in!!! Your pictures are fantastic Paige:)
ReplyDeleteI love that her birthday is on Valentine's Day:)
xo
Hi,
ReplyDeleteAs always your girls are absolutely beautiful. I love your blog aand admire your strength which I need desperately to tap into now. My only sister and last remaining relative has advanced breast cancer. My life will now be disrupted to travel acrosss the country to care for her. I am terrified for her and me. Please keep us in your prayers. I am hoping for a miracle.
Your pictures and words are beautiful and heart-felt. You SHOULD feel the way you are feeling. That is what a mother's love is all about. Do not let people tell you it gets easier with each child. It does NOT. My heart broke five times as the children each went away to school. The new stage of their lives is also wonderful, but there is nothing ever to replace every precious head, on their own pillow, asleep in their own bed as I peak in each doorway. God bless. Lori L
ReplyDeletewhat a sweet message. As a mommy of little ones, it is so refreshing to hear such beautiful words about your {almost} grown baby. It makes me want to cherish mine even more now, but also hopeful about watching them grow into who God has made them to be. What a heart-wrenching thing motherhood is! But what an honor ...
ReplyDeleteBoo Hoo...I am crying before 8:00 in the morning. Arrived here.......not sure how! That was a beautiful tribute to one of the joys of life...having children. The best job in the world and most certainly the hardest :)
ReplyDeleteShe is lovely.
Oh my -- what a sweet post about your adorable daughter!
ReplyDeleteJanet
My heart was
ReplyDeletesqueezing with
every word....
So proud for you
both; you have
bloomed together.
Is there anything
harder than letting
that little hand
go, whatever the age?
Beautiful photos of
a lovely, lovely girl.
I'm certain that she
is just as pretty on
the inside, too.
xx Suzanne
Beautiful pictures - and her outfit was fantastic!
ReplyDelete17 is exciting, I'm there currently too, lots of firsts for my girl too, College Summer Camp, first time away from home etc. What a privelege to be on this journey with our girls, so exciting but where did the years go?
ReplyDeletePS Be an obnoxious mum;) I'm sure your daughter is near perfect:)
just beautiful.
ReplyDeletethe girl.
the pictures.
the snow.
her outfit...my goodness..you must shop all the time. :)
the words.
is there anything better than pictures and words?
Your photos and your stories of your daughters are just lovely! Thanks for sharing.....
ReplyDeleteJust beautiful, Paige! Love the feeling of these pix, and SMK is definitely a stunning and lovely gal! :)
ReplyDelete