Can she really be 22???

Today is my oldest daughter's birthday. She is 22 today! How can that be? It really seems like just yesterday Brian and I were two scared kids at the hospital! I will never forget the day Ashley Elizabeth was born. The day I became a mom! In fact just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes now. It was a day of mixed emotions, we were so excited and so in love with her from the very beginning, but there was fear mixed in there as well. This little girl sent us to our knees from the very beginning. She was placed in the NICU pretty quickly after birth. She had a collapsed lung and was not breathing well. So instead of spending our first hours together with me cuddling her, we were separated, Brian went back and forth from her to me, not sure what he should be doing.

We prayed. The doctor came in and told us what they were doing to correct the situation. He then told us that there was a procedure where they would go in with a needle to drain the air inside her chest cavity so her lung would inflate. He told us this was  a last resort and that with his luck that day he would probably nick the lung. (in case any of you are doctors, this is not what you tell new parents!). Several hours later, we were told this was what needed to happen. More praying!! Thankfully it worked and soon my little baby was in my arms. But what a long day that had been!

Fast-forward 22 years and we are now parents of a beautiful young woman! We still find many occasions to pray for her. God let us know from day 1 how important prayer is and He has been faithfully working in Ashley's life from day 1 as well!!

So on her 22nd birthday I wanted to share with you 22 things about my firstborn!

1. Ashley loves Jesus more than anything. She became a Christian at young age.
2. Ashley's first prayer as a Christian was that her baby sister come to know Jesus.
3. One year later, Ashley led Abby to the Lord.
4. Ashley was born to be a mom. In kindergarten they had career day, she went dressed up as a mom!
5. She was easy to discipline. We just had to say her name in a stern way and she would cry and straighten up.
6. When she was little she would play for hours with those McDonalds Barbies, but she called them her mermaids!
7. She was painfully shy as a child. She did not like to talk and did not like being away from us.
8. Today she is not shy, she loves talking to people and well she's lived away from us for 4 years now!
9. She is our world traveler, she's been to Canada, Mexico, Panama, Haiti, India, England, Australia and New Zealand.
10. Ashley has worked at camp since she was 16. She started out in the kitchen, moved on to counselor and then became VBS coordinator.
11. Ashley was into speech and drama in high school. She made it to state several times for speech, loves to act and was in Mock Trial as well.
12.She may be the big sister to Caleb and Abby, but they are both several inches taller than her.
13. Even though she is shorter than them, they both look up to her!
14. Out of high school Ashley attended a one year Bible School in Comfort, Texas.
15. Even though she was in Texas, she came home with a Canadian accent!!!
16. This northern accent has served her well as she's been living in northern Minnesota for the past 2 years!
17. She attends Oak Hills Christian College, she will graduate in December with her bachelor's in Children's Ministry (perfect for our nurturing daughter!)
18. She is currently an RA at school and lives right across the hall from her sister.
19. Ashley has an amazing smile.
20. I think Larry has a big part in why she is smiling these days!
21. Ashley and Larry are engaged!!!!!
22. The wedding is 40 days away!!!!!!

Happy Birthday to my sweet daughter Ashley Haynes (last year I can call her that!). I love you sweetie!!!!