Deep Thoughts and a Giggle

I love knowing about my family and where we come from. I've been blessed with a mother who is a family history enthusiast and have learned so much from the fruit of her labor. I like to think about the people who came before us and what their lives were like. How many of their decisions helped shape the lives of the generations who followed? What would they think if they could see where and how I live? And how I dress? Would they be proud to see how their descendants have lived and are living their lives? Do they feel the sacrifices they made for their families and future generations were worth it? I have so many more questions.

I think it's so important for us to know who we are and where we're going. Who and where we come from can contribute to who we are and where we're going. I want so much for Olivia to really know who she is, be comfortable with herself, discover her potential and plan a path that will get her where she wants to go.

She's lucky. She has more to draw on than some of us do. Not only does she get to learn about Brigham's family and my family, she also gets to learn about her heritage from her birth parents. (Alyssa, Rick, Diane: any stories you want to share would be most welcome.) We're excited to teach her where she came from and how she came to us. It's not something she can understand just yet, but we've been laying the groundwork so that when she can, it will be an easy, fun lesson to learn.

Olivia already knows lots of things about herself. For example, one night a few weeks ago, she was standing on a stool in her bathroom looking at herself in the mirror while getting ready to brush her teeth. She was wearing only her underwear (not an uncommon occurrence). She turned to me and said, "Mom, I'm a girl." True statement. She followed that with, "I have dese," while pointing to her nipples. "What are dese?" I'll leave my response to your imagination.