Double Digits

[A couple of years ago my mother started sending email announcements to the extended family about birthdays. Her hope was that this would be a unifying exercise given that both sides of the extended family -- my mothers family and my fathers family -- live all over creation. Her secret dream is that the email announcement will spur family members to send either personal or public "shout outs" to the individual celebrating their birthday or anniversary.]

Today, Rebecca is 10! I sent my family the following spot light on Rebecca and decided to include it the blog ... enjoy and feel free to add your own insights about Rebecca in the comments.

Rebecca is a hands on creator. She is constantly making something out of anything and everything she can find ... paper, fabric, boxes and cans from the recycling bin, etc. Right now she has two different quilts pinned together on the floor of the craft room. [quilt she made last year, and another she did the year before] Rebecca also enjoys designing things on the computer. Using Microsoft Publisher to design invitations, books, labels, business cards, fliers, etc.

Rebecca is an avid reader and excellent student. She caught on to reading quickly as a kindergartner and fell in love with the Junie B. Jones series. Since then she's found lots of favorites ... All of the Ramona Quimby books, both Penderwick books, Judy Moody is another favorite. But recently, Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian has been her books of choice. She read all four books in two weeks. Rebecca is one who will re-read books. They are her good friends, and when she finds a book she loves, she will read it again, and again.

Rebecca is a planner. Birthdays, vacations, etc. When she wants to do something she plans it all out her in head with very detailed ideas about how she wants things. She and her friends had her birthday party planned by mid-January this year.

Back in early March she started planning our family garden ("her" garden, as she calls it). She called her primary teacher for advice on what fruit trees to plant in Kansas (we're holding off on this stage of the garden). She then called my visiting teacher & her husband, avid gardeners too, for advice on what to plant - even arranged for them to come over and advise us on where to plant, making a list of their suggestions of what to grow in Kansas. And she called her Great Grandfather to talk with him about gardening and started reading the book he published about gardening.


Rebecca has always been a black and white, right or wrong kind of kid. She works hard to figure out how to do something correctly and she will not deviate from it. She is not easily intimidated by adults or peers and freely speaks her mind.

Since a young toddler Rebecca has taught us the importance of making people feel loved and accepted. She is an incredible example of being a friend, and extending a hand of fellowship to all she knows. She says hello to everyone. She is always excited to see you, and will greet you with a smile, hug and ask you how you are. Even if she only met you for a brief moment, she will remember you and excitedly greet you the next time you see each other (and remind you how you know each other if necessary).

Last night Rebecca was asked by a member of our Stake Presidency to speak in Stake Conference today. She was asked to share her favorite scripture about the Savior, share why and bare her testimony [side note: 10 members - 2 each: primary, youth, young adult, male, female - were asked to do this, along with a member of the stake presidency. Becca was one of the two primary children, and she was the youngest].

Last night she excitedly accepted, but this morning her confidence was gone and she was a puddle of tears; scared, nervous and completely unsure of what to share. Thanks to calm assurances from her parents, a phone call to her primary teacher, and the answer to GR and I's silent fervent prayers that the spirit would bring peace and calm to her heart, she began to prepare and choose a scripture they recently studied in her primary class. She wrote a few key words down as notes, and shared her scripture and testimony in Stake Conference this afternoon. She didn't even get flustered when she realized that the scriptures she had marked and put her notes in didn't make it in the car and she had to write out her notes again.

The scripture she shared was: Mark 14:21-25. So fitting for a 10 year old who 2 years ago was baptized and has such a vivid memory of her baptism, and the covenants she made in that ordinance, and renews each Sunday when she partakes of the sacrament. Her testimony was basic, simple, as all first testimonies are.

Rebecca is a pretty mature 10 year old. She is asked to shoulder a lot of responsibilities in our family. Even today we needed to celebrate with a birthday breakfast rather than our traditional birthday dinner because GR had BYC and was the speaker for the tri-ward Bishops devotional for the youth tonight. She bravely and maturely agreed to have her birthday dinner Monday night instead of Sunday night. No need to feel too poorly for her. We celebrated in style this morning with pancakes, sweet rolls, all her favorite fresh fruits, sausage and donuts!

She opened her presents in a small break this evening before GR left for the church. While he was gone, the girls and I put Rebecca's new bedding on her bed. Her new favorite color is green, and everything she got today was green (with a couple minor exceptions). Green scriptures, green sports watch (that will show military time), green sheets, green bedspread, green print pillowcases (made using this tutorial, but awaiting the crocheted trim), and some fun new artwork (from this website) for that big blank wall!