Dear Baby Girl, year seven of taking pictures of you in my wedding dress. Seven! I never know what I’m going to write to you, but as I look through your images and think about our experience, it usually comes to me. This year, you helped me take senior pictures of your brother, and after venturing around Indy all day, it was finally your turn to get in front of the camera. What was I thinking? I knew you were worn out, ready to get some good food in your belly…yet I wanted you to put on an uncomfortable dress and do exactly as I said. We both know how that went, lol. You got mad at me, I got mad at you. I felt like I just wasted your time, my time (your dad’s time)…but when I looked through your images, I was overwhelmed with just how amazing you are. You may not have done the “picture perfect” session with my dress, but you definitely did it the Adley way! Your hair was wild..you danced around, you had tennis shoes on. I could hear your laugh just looking at some of your pictures. I could also feel your death stare in others…(and I know you probably felt mine as well). I wanted you to be just so…have your hair just so, have your poses just so…and well….so. I’m glad you bucked at me (at least now I am anyway) because I don’t want you to be “just so”, I don’t want you to conform to what other people want you to be or what they think you should be. Of course I want you to be obedient and respectful (that’s a given), but I want you to do you. I want you to rock your big curly hair (that I still don’t know how to take care of yet, but we will figure it out. 2022 is the year we will get a diffuser for the hair dryer). I want you to laugh big, to show your crooked teeth, to make weird faces, and to enjoy life. You have such a big heart, such a loving spirit. You are the first to encourage someone and the first to volunteer. You are the first to want dessert too….I think I know where you get that one from. I learn a lot from you Adley, and quite honestly, I’m a tad jealous I don’t live as tenaciously as you. You dream. You jump in water puddles. You go to church in a dress and dirty sneakers. I see excitement in your face when you tell me about your day and if you get upset, I just as quickly see your hurt feelings in your big brown eyes. I’m excited to watch you grow into a beautiful young woman of God. You don’t know how many lives you’ve already touched just by your presence. I love you baby girl….keep on laughing even if everyone around you is serious (well, except maybe at funeral…or at church…but if someone farts at church, then that’s a different story. I digress) I guess what I’m saying is, don’t be afraid to be the wonderful little human that God made you to be. I’m always in your corner. Love, Mom
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