Laynie Lou

Thirty Days of Thankfulness, Day 18

Once upon a time a little bald-headed baby girl turned a family of five into a family of six.

As she grew, her hair did, too!  By the time she was three years old, her hair had reached epic proportions.

Although, her hair made her look kind of crazy when she was awake, she looked nothing but angelic when she slept.  And, boy, did she know how to sleep.  She could sleep anywhere.  Sitting up, lying down, face up, face down, being held, curled up in a sibling's bed, outside, on the beach, flat on the floor, and even at the dinner table.

If you happened to disturb her slumber, you'd get a look like this:

And if she happened to not get a nap, you'd get a look like THIS:

I think we can all agree that no one wants to be on the receiving end of that look.

When she wasn't dealing with sleep issues, she was actually a pretty great kid.  She had three brothers and a sister, but she surely had the most character.  It takes a special kind of person to rock bright red lipstick and fancy makeup at any age.

And then, when she was six, her dreams came true.  Her parents bought a farm.  She had always loved animals and this would be the perfect home to raise some of her own.  She had her heart set on a horse or two, but without a barn she knew she'd have to wait a little longer for those.  In the meantime, though, she was able to acquire quite a few other animals.  She loved those animals with all her heart.  She fed them, and snuggled them, and carried them around as much as they'd let her.  She was in her glory on that farm.

Many people in her family told her she looked like her father's side of the family, but there was no denying the resemblance to her great-grandma Nanu on her mother's side!

That little girl is my Alayna.  That's right-I get to be her mom.  I get to see firsthand, everyday, her smiles and her way with animals, and, yes, even her bad moods.  And every night, I get to see her sleeping.  She is kind, and considerate, and always has something nice to say about others.  She is easy to love and I am so thankful that she is mine.