Alexandra Turns 12 Today!!!

Our dear Alexandra, you are TWELVE years old today!   "For a perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless day, we pray to the Lord."  This is a quote/one of the petitions from our Divine Liturgy that you and I love so much.  I remember when you were little... you said to me one day, "oh mommy, it is so hard to have a perfect, holy, peaceful and sinless day!"  I could hardly believeyou said that because I had thought that thought, EXACTLY, so many times!!!  I told you that this petition is what HEAVEN will be like...if we make it there, God-willing, someday!!  One big ~ PERFECT, HOLY, PEACEFUL, and SINLESS day ~ that goes on FOREVER!!!  And, I told you that this is, with the Grace of God, and the help of our precious Lord, and His Holy Mother the Panayia, and all the saints, what we can strive for every day of our lives!!  Since that day, when we  had that talk, every single Litrugy we have been to, you and I have crossed ourselves when we hear that beautiful petition, each time, and made our special eye contact.  It's our special prayer for each day, on this blessed journey of life, together!!!  How can we begin to express our love for you? We will always remember you growing in my womb, so soon after your sister Kyranna was born… we could hardly wait for baby #2 to be born, if the Lord would give us another… which He so graciously did. You have been such a JOY for 12 years, and you have blessed us and many others so very much.  I have so much I want to write to you,  about you, and my/our love for you...  I want to write what your wonderful creative writing teacher wrote about you...(i forgot that paper in Boston, so when we return i will write her blessed words to you which so describe how you are!)

Alexandra, my Xandri, I love it when we wake up in the morning and you come in to us with your HUGE smile and those cheeks, and your runway :) and we cuddle much of the time before we start our day.  I love spending my days with you and helping you to learn and grow.  You are becoming such a beautiful child of God. +  You are like a diamond, which becomes more beautiful with time!!  You always have such an open heart to learn and grow in the areas you need to, and you have grown SO much.  It is so beautiful how some of the things you are working on, are the same things that I am, as well... and we get to learn and grow together.  I know that one of the reasons God gave you to me, is so I could learn much wisdom and blessings- which seems to be meant for you and given to you, but then it ends up being EXACTLY what my heart and soul needed!!  And  I didn't have a Spiritual Father when I w

as your age, and for many years when I needed to hear much wisdom and now I am blessed to do it through you and my life is being sketched and shaped in such a beautiful new way because of 

YOU!!  Thank you for this HUGE gift you have given to me.   I always remember and think about your love for me, and

 how even when I have fallen as a mother, you are so very loving and you seem

 to only remember the good and the love and the big effort you know I am making and how much I want to do everything like the Panayia does.  And you love me so much, I feel unworthy of this kind of love.  You have been so patient and loving with me, you have taught me to do more of the

 same with you and with all of your dear siblings.  You are my curly hair buddy.  I love it when we sit and  read something special together, like Father Arsenios... and we have both been so blessed

 at the times we decided to take a break and read or pray...  let's always remind one another to take these needed breaks!  "But you, when you pray, enter into your closet and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret shall reward you." Matthew 6:6     You have also blessed us so much with the talent the Lord has given you.  "For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him." ~from the Parables of the Talents - Matthew 25:29  For many years now, our home has become a little monastery, a church of the home, and we are so very blessed to have so many

children fill our home, our lives, our hearts and our prayers ~ each day!  When we pray together and you and your sisters chant, it is such a great blessing to all of us.  You have also shared this gift you've been given with many, as on the day of Alexios' baptism here!  When you play the piano, my whole heart and body start to sing and it brings me so much joy, and takes me back to my house growing up, and i think so much of all of us playing the piano!  And here you are in your acting and singing though PALS!  Daddy and I can't express how much we've loved watching you learn, grow and share your talents with so many!