My Two “Same-Day” Blessings
One of my favorite days of the year is today: September 16th! That’s because God blessed this world, and me, with my two girls on this date. I like to think my angels got together and created two dreams-come-true and said “Ta-Da”! I’m celebrating these two precious gifts to me.
It was actually September 15th, 2020 when our son asked us to join him and Shawntel’s family for a surprise birthday party for her at her home in Broken Arrow, OK. We were already enamored with her long before Ryan showed up on the scene and fell in love with her.
I’m the girly-girl who loved watching the Miss America Pageant each year. We were Oklahomans and we were all for our Miss Oklahoma, Shawntel Smith – a gorgeous red-head with spunk, beauty, poise, talent and personality-plus! We were her fans from the sidelines when she won the title of Miss America that year. Little did we know we were cheering for “our girl”!
Fast forward to her surprise birthday party on September 15th. We had a wonderful time as families celebrating this beautiful woman, but the party went to a whole new level, when Ryan got down on one knee and proposed to her. We rejoiced when she said “YES”! We knew God brought them together.
My other children, Larry and Staci, were absent from the celebration because of other matters at hand, like a “surprise” birth-day party that they were at. Just after Ryan proposed to Shawntel and he received the “yes”, we got the call from Larry: “Staci’s contractions are just minutes apart.” That meant we made a lightning-fast exit from that fabulous party to be at another fabulous “debut” birth-day party.
We rushed to Dallas and though the doctors were telling Staci to “push”, she refused: “My Mom & Dad must be here!” As we were running down the hospital’s hallway, our precious granddaughter started to make her debut! We made it — but not a minute too soon!
Our hearts were full — our son was engaged to the “love of his life”, and Larry and Staci brought another precious treasure to love into this world. And to make it even more special, Ryan and Shawntel drove from Oklahoma to Texas to meet their new little niece on both girls’ birth-days. It was a joyous celebration!
So, today, September 16th, I get to celebrate two precious women who have brought so much sunshine and joy to our family. I can’t begin to thank God enough for my Shawntel (aka Angel — always has been to our family) who is the most devoted and loving wife to Ryan, and incredible mother to our boys. She has always called me Mom – a title I hold dear to my heart. We’re bonded. We’ve shared many blessings together. She’s my girl and always will be.
And, then there’s my hilarious, beautiful, adventurous, talented, loving, animal lover, articulate trainer and speaker, Alexia — who made her debut 21 years ago today. Where has 21 years gone? It seems just a little while ago that we were rushing to meet her, and now she is a beautiful woman of God – a woman of destiny and purpose.
Thank you for indulging me in celebrating my girls today! And, thank You, Heavenly Father, Who surprises us so often with “All things working together for good to those who love God and are called according to His promises.” (Romans 8:28)
Happy Birthday, Shawntel Wuerch & Alexia Wallace — my two September 16th GIFTS FROM GOD!