HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MELANIE!

Today I am actually writing about Witt's mom and not so much Witt. Today is Melanie's 25th birthday!!!! I would like to share some stories with you about Melanie. They are stories that I love to remember because they are wonderful reminders of God's plan for Melanie's life even before she was born! I could not fully relate to what Melanie must of been feeling after the 5 month ultrasound with Witt but I know God could give her peace, a peace even without assurances. 25 years and close to 9 months ago I was out jogging in our little neighborhood. This is a neighborhood where kids ride their bikes and frequently play in the streets...no sidewalks. It was a beautiful day. As I jogged down one street I could hear that a car was coming very close. I reached back with my hand just as the car hit me and threw me in the air. I landed on my back and head and then skidded on the road. The young driver was looking for an address and never saw me. My head was split open and my back had 3rd degree burns form sliding on the pavement. But there are so many things that miraculously didn't happen...I didn't actually get run over by the car but was thrown up in the air, I didn't have any broken bones, I didn't have a concussion, I didn't loose consciousness!!! What I did find out a couple of weeks later and totally unbeknown to me was that I was actually pregnant with Melanie at the time. Not only had I been hit by a car, but in the hospital I was x-rayed from head to toe looking for injuries. My first thought was if the baby survived the accident I must have fried it with the x-rays!!! God gave me such a peace and yet it wasn't necessarily assurances that Mel was okay but that God was in control! That was Melanie's incredible God ordained beginning. My life has never been the same. Melanie has always had a very very tender soft heart that's protected by a very thin but tough shell. She has always been drawn to the "underdogs". When Mel was in preK at First Baptist she would always tell me about her friend she loved to play with. She would tell me all they did each week but she never brought up one detail that I didn't discover for quite sometime. Her little girl friend was actually in a wheel chair. That detail was not important to Melanie. She actually loved that the little girl had her own desk that went with them everywhere!! That is an incredible mindset that God gave Melanie that has served Witt well! Around that same age I also got many glimpses of Mel's straightforward, speak the truth mindset. This is one of my favorite stories that I do tell often but it is who Mel is even today. We were at my parents and the kids were acting up some so I sent them back to the bedroom. I walked back there and said, "When you kids act like this I don't even want to see you" to which Mel quickly answered, "Then why did you come back here?" Honestly, it was not said with disrespect it was an honest question and she wasn't afraid to ask it! I of course said, "I don't know and I'm leaving!!!" I'll bet some doctors at Texas Children's can relate to this.?!! Melanie was in elementary school when she left me this note. I certainly loved the fact that she missed me but what really touched me was what she wrote at the end. God's hand has always always been evident in and through her!!!

That little girl grew into the only person(by God's plan) capable of being Witt's mom. Oh, Melanie, the wonderful woman you have grown into...the undeniable gift from God you are to me and now to Witt. God "protected" His plans for you and equipped you to walk in them...don't ever doubt that! Your first 25 years have blessed me beyond measure. Happy Birthday...I love you!~mom