I love to see growth.

I love being a teacher and having kids make progress, progress that you can see and document and acknowledge. Like the student I had for three years (who is in middle school this year, boo hoo) who came to me in third grade not even understanding the concept of adding one to another number let alone being able to "do" a problem such as 3 + 1, and left me being able to add triple digit numbers with decimals and carrying, working on his multiplication facts and almost knowing them all, and reading at a much higher level than was ever "expected", even after his own mom told me last year I was challenging him too much on his Spelling lists and yet he continued making 100% almost every week!

I love being a parent and though it's bittersweet at times, seeing those yearly pictures and noticing how big the kids are getting. Wondering when on earth Olivia began sounding like a mom instead of a "bossy" big sister. Marveling at Braeden's reading and spelling abilities at age 6. Smiling like crazy as Liam "gets" more and more of the world around him.

And I love seeing my kids impact the world. I love how their hearts grow to include those who are in need, a "baby" or young sibling they haven't even met yet, children around the world without clean water to drink or wash in.

Or how they can watch for themselves when they've planted seeds, literal seeds, in Spring of 2010...

... and today stand in the SHADE of the sunflowers THEY planted.

How we can marvel at God's beauty for our world...

And the impact they had on that same world...