SwissleBean!!

Yesterday.

I swear that it was yesterday that I received the call from my sister that my niece, Alyssa, was born. How can it be that 14 years have now come and gone since that moment? I swear that I blinked. I remember getting off the phone that day and just falling apart because I had no idea when I would ever get to lay my eyes on little Miss Lyss....much less hold her. It seemed like it would be ages and eons...and she would change so much before I got the chance.

Through a wonderful gift from some friends of mine, I was able to fly down to California to see her when she was just a week or so old. Maybe her mom remembers how old she was, I just remember that she was just so very tiny. So very beautiful. So very perfect. I was in awe. How did someone so cute come from a father like hers??? From her mom, I can understand....but her dad????? :-) (Must be those Peterson genes.)

But what a joy it has been to watch her grow into a beautiful young lady. Being that we live 400 miles apart, I don't get to see her nearly as often as I'd like, but when I do, I continue to be amazed. She is becoming so tall and graceful. She laughs with a deep joy. She has a good sense of humor, too. She can be a little crazy and off the wall, like her dad and her brother. (Must be that random Redford gene.)


I am amazed at her patience with my crazy little monkeys. My kids absolutely think that she is the next best thing to anything. I am often asked: "When are we going to go see Alyssa and Kyle?" When I told them yesterday that today was Alyssa's birthday, Luke piped up from the back of the van: "Can we go to her party, Mom? Clease? Clease? (please.) " They adore her. Plain and simple.

It is fun watching her be herself. She is so confident. She does well in school. She enjoys doing Bible Quizzing. I think I have even heard that she does pretty good at it, too. She also enjoys playing volleyball (girl after my own heart!) She is also a good friend....and that is definitely a life skill!

What a joy it is to be her aunt...to stand in the sidelines of her life and watch. I believe God has marvelous things planned for her life. I can see the beginnings of it now.....and I'm enjoying the show.

Happy Birthday, Lyss. I love you.