Josefiney Tortellini

You're thirteen today.  Thirteen.  I'm officially the mother of three teenagers!  Want to know something?  I like having teenagers. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I like the whole growing up and potentially leaving me forever thing!  I don't like that one bit.  But teenagers- teenagers I like.


I especially like YOU!

I like how thoughtful you are. You consider others before yourself and are always jumping at the chance to serve and care for others, especially your family!

You have the gift of hospitality.  I watch you engage in conversation with people of all ages, and delight in how intentional you are to create an environment that causes others to feel included.

I admire how you don't over think things and are okay to just go with the flow; you don't sweat the small or big stuff.   When life throws you a bit of a curve ball you respond, "It's okay. I'm not dead. I'm still alive. And even if I were dead I know where I'm going." You don't know it, but I'm learning from you how healthy it is to respond to things that life throws at me that way too.

You're purposeful with your time. You're always crafting, baking, learning, organizing, reading, playing- you're always finding something enjoyable to do and enjoying everything you find.

I love that you're not too old or too cool to play with your American Girl dolls. It has made this mama grin from ear to ear seeing your room be transformed into an AG winter formal, clothing store, prom, Christmas party, and most recently a birthday bash.  I can already see that you are going to throw the best parties when you're older. Consider this an RSVP of YES that I'll be at every one of them!

Your friendship with Emilie is my most favorite relationship in the history of forever. I've never seen two sisters who cherish each other the way you two do.  You bless each other with your thoughts, words, and actions toward each other. You have no idea what a gift this is to me!

On the other hand, your relationship with Noah is the strangest in the history of forever. ;) Your love-language with each other is to be playfully affectionate and all-out goofy (wrestling and roughhousing). What did Emilie say last week? Oh yeah, "It was nice of God to give Noah a little brother in Josie."  It really was. 

"Josie's so nice."  I've lost count of how many times one of us has said that? You say nice things. You do nice things. You think nice things. You ARE nice. Especially to me. Thinking about how incredibly kind you are makes me remember that time a few months ago when I was getting ready to go somewhere and it was one of those days when I just felt eh!  You came in to where I was, and in a serious tone said, "You're insecure. Don't know what for. You're turning heads when you walk through the door. You don't need make-up to cover up, being the way that you are is enough. Everyone else in the room can see it. Everyone else but you." It took me a minute to figure out you were quoting One Direction. It took me less than a minute to know you meant every word and wanted me to see myself the way you see me too.

Jo, You are fuunnnny without even trying! The One Direction thing is proof.

I like when you sing. Your voice is beauty. You open your mouth and let the LORD out. You let Him out and He fills this house- He fills me. You cause me to remember how much I love to sing and worship too.

You're beauty inside and out is striking! You are extraordinarily BEAUTY-FULL in every way, Josie. I'm especially taken by how you look so much like Jesus. You inspire me to want to look like all I see of Him in you. 

I can't even tell you how much I like, no.. love, no... SUPER LOVE, how you study and treasure God's word.  It TICKLES MY SOUL when you start looking up the meaning of words or names or different versions to understand the text better.  God referred to David as "a man after His own heart," and you, Josefine are a girl after His own heart! And I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT, I LOOOOOVE IT!

Thank you for messaging each of us bible verses everyday (and not just us, but a handful of your friends too). My deepest desire for you, Noah and Em is that you love the word AND live the word. And Josefiney Tortellini, that this is important to you too, and that you're intentional to give us a bit of God's word to tuck in our hearts~ and I can't afford it, but it's mine!

I like that you are a foodie and enjoy cooking and baking. We'd all starve if you didn't feed us (when your dad, Noah and Emilie read this, they'll for sure shake their heads in agreement). Also, please make more of those egg-roll wrappers with apple-pie filling! They were delicious! 

Finally, I like that you promise profusely that you will never ever ever ever leave me, and that you reassure me numerous times throughout each day with hugs, kisses, and vows of "I'll always stay with you, Mommy."  You're dad and I are 100% on-board with letting you and your future family have the house, and think your idea of us converting the family room into our in-law suite is brilliant (your dad is already sketching up the plans).

Jos, this is your thirteenth birthday blessing, but I, I AM THE ONE WHO IS SO BLESSED- Blessed that God thought you up and generously added you to my life.  I adore every single thing about you! I even adore that you're a teenager.

Happy birthday!
I love you a "scubajuauian elephants,"
Mommy