GENE POOL!!!

Isn't it funny how kids, who come from the same gene pool.....the same DNA....the same two parents, can be so different and yet so alike?

Take this child, for instance, she is so very much like me....her mother....it makes me giggle sometimes. She is a granola girl, who is grounded but gets her feelings hurt easily and takes things personally. She is very creative and loves nature. She eats healthy, thinks healthy, acts healthy. She needs a lot of sleep, or she gets cranky. She loves the Lord and bases most of her decisions on the following familiar question: What would Jesus do? She loves to read and write and can often be found outside with her nose stuck in a book. She treasures time alone with mommy and daddy and would rather be home playing with her sisters than just about anywhere else. She is tidy and organized and is easily annoyed when someone gets in her "stuff" and doesn't put it back in its place. She is a planner and likes to know what to expect. She has a very unique sense of humor and cracks up at a given moment. She does not like scary movies and covers her eyes and ears when she's scared. She has a warm spirit and a full heart and is always content. She has a black/white personality....not much of a grey area for her. She's really shy, and she's the best friend a person could ask for!

Then there's this child....who is remarkably like her dad! She use to be a meat and potato eater (until she gave up red meat), but she still likes herself some sort or pork or chicken on a regular basis. She is EXTREMELY laid back....I can't even begin to tell you how much so....honestly you wouldn't believe me if I did. She is kind to everyone and makes friends easily. She lets things roll right off her back, and she has a big grey area. She would rather play on the computer....creating cool stuff or skyping with her friends....than reading a good book. She is a really hard worker when she is working on something she is passionate about. She is not the least bit tidy and in fact will live out of a laundry basket of clean clothes as long as possible before being threatened asked to put them away (for the hundredth time). She has lots of friends...some who are very different than her and from each other.....and a very unique relationship with each one. She is not the least bit judgmental and really embraces people for their differences. She is completely fly by the seat of your pants and only plans when she feels it is absolutely necessary. She is very sensitive and was completely literal as a young child. She has a wonderful gift in music and uses that well. She has one of the most generous hearts I've ever experienced and encourages people in their strengths. She is not the roll your eyes, talking back, wanting to be anywhere but here teen. She loves her family and loves spending time with them. She loves Jesus with all her heart and would rather be at church than just about anywhere else.

Then there's these two....they definitely march to the beat of their own drummer! Not remarkably like their mother or their father....but each his/her own strong, quirky but ever so lovely personality. Both of these two have characteristics from NPayne and myself, but unlike the two above....it's not like looking in the mirror. The child above is about the happiest person I've ever met....YES ALL THE TIME...even when she's tired! She is completely unaware of her surroundings most of the time, because she is living in the moment....the precious moment. She lives her life to the fullest and has not a care in the world. She loves to dress up, fix her hair, take the time to look nice. She is by far the most high maintenance of the 7 of us. She is not much of a leader but seems to be a follower who is finding her way. She has a strong opinion about many things but can also be easily persuaded. She lives her life as each day could be her last. She doesn't hold in her feelings, and she is not in the least bit embarassed to tell you that she loves you or give you a hug. She tells her friends that "She loves Jesus period....now let's go play!"

The child below is rigid and organized and structured. He thrives on a schedule and needs his 100 questions a day answered each time he asks it....even if he's already asked it 5 times in 5 minutes. He is happiest in the simplest of settings and although his thoughts can be very confusing to me, they make perfect sense to him. He has a complex yet simple mind, and he can remember anything you have ever taught, told, or read to him. He's the child who will ask you exactly one year after an event....why we aren't doing that same event on that exact same day! He never forgets a birthday or a song. He is silly and serious. He is my undeserving, yet so greatly appreciated, child who has taught me so much about the important things in life.

Then there's this child. She is a culmination of all of the above. She is full of life, loves to sing, likes to clean, would rather be with her daddy than anyone else. She is smart as a whip with a great memory and an ability to remember all sorts of interesting things. She definitely has a grey area, but she lives most of her life in the happy zone. She has a mind of her own but is pretty good about respecting authority. She loves to play at home, play at school, play..... She is not inhibited or embarassed by life but embraces it to its fullest. She has a definite opinion about what she wants to wear, eat, watch, read; but she can be persuaded. ;) She is curious about Jesus and mentions Him often in her casual conversations. She is cranky when she doesn't get enough sleep and still loves a good nap. She loves a good audience and will definitely give you a good show! Her questions are thought provoking and hilarious all at the same time.

So that's them....my FABULOUS FIVE....in a nutshell!