Maggie's 18th Birthday

This is my darling Maggie, 18 years ago. She was a sweet, compliant child who would do whatever big sister Sarah told her to do.
I always kept the toy kitchen in my kitchen so my girls could "cook" alongside Mama. I remember Maggie always insisted on having an apron just like Mama's. This picture reminds me of the many hours that Maggie played next to my feet while I sewed. As with all my babies, Maggie never like to have Mama out of sight for long, which suited me just fine. I am surprised Maggie doesn't have a baby doll in her arms since she was rarely without one.
At age three, Maggie was already a Mama's helper. She loved the "job" of putting Anna down for her nap. She did this for two years. Most of the time she ended up napping with her.
When the twins came along, Maggie spent hours singing and reading to them. The above picture show Maggie with 3 month old twins, the bottom picture they are 3 years. Every day at 4 pm, Maggie would come relieve me of the babies so I could have some quiet time. You would not have known she was just 6 years old!Maggie is a very multi-talented daughter. She can play many instruments, has a musical ear for harmony, and has many hobbies. She loves the Lord and is secure in His love. She is also a content person.

I have many pictures of Maggie on horseback, from age 2 to age 12. Here she is enjoying a bareback ride on our neighbor's horse. It looks funny to see our front yard before the orchard was planted.

Maggie has lots of bunnies. She had 12 at one time but is now down to 6. We have had many hours of fun laughing and snuggling the bunnies. Of course, we've also shed many tears at their funerals. Aren't they adorable? And Maggie has never complained about cleaning their cages or changing their frozen water bottles.

Maggie's other love is her very loyal dog, Ollie. Ollie loves Maggie and lives to please her.

Here is Maggie teaching her Sunday School class. She loves her students and enjoys serving the Lord in this way.

Three years ago this May, Maggie was practicing the piano diligently for the annual Piano Guild Festival that is adjudicated. Well, she overdid it and her arms started to have shooting pains and numbness. Her life became all about painkillers (none worked) and ice packs. For the next three years we took her to doctors, chiropractors, neurosurgeons, osteopaths, physical therapists, an occupational therapist, a sports injury therapist, and had numerous nerve tests, MRIs and X-rays. Nothing has worked or come even close.

Maggie's final appointment this past week resulted in more exercises that "might see some improvement in a few months." It is the end of the line for anything that Navy medicine has to offer.

While my folks were in Texas this past winter, both of them needed to see their chiropractor who helped them immensely. Mom asked if he could possibly offer anything new for Maggie. He was willing to try, so we sent a box of medical files down along with our prayers and the prayers of our closest friends and family. The doctor called the next day and said he is sure he can make a difference. He would like to concentrate on a different area of the spine than what the other doctors have focused on.

So we are making plans to leave in a few weeks to go to Texas for 2-4 weeks (2 weeks if treatment isn't working, 4 weeks if it is). It is exciting to think that Maggie could be improving soon! Maggie is already making plans to make up for 3 years! Anyone who has lived with a child in constant chronic pain knows how emotionally exhausting it is for the whole family.

I don't know why God has allowed Maggie to go through this. I only know that God's ways are not our ways, and God's thoughts are not our thoughts. I have learned from my many miscarriages, that God's way is always best. Thy will be done.

Thank you for letting me share a little about one of our precious daughters. We are certainly blessed.

Many blessings ~ Kathie