Breanne unexpectedly came home from college this weekend. She had some things she needed to get done here that she wasn’t able to do there. So, she bought a bus ticket from Austin to Houston Friday afternoon. I picked her up at the bus station Friday night.

We laughed all the way home. When we are together, we laugh a lot.  Breanne has a great sense of humor.  I love that.  It’s fun to be with her. Breanne is passionate about politics.  She had an internship at the Capitol in Austin.  She loves to keep current on political events and policies.  That amazes me.

She is an unbelievable writer.  She always has been.  She could easily have a career as an Author. She also has this recent artistic ability.  Her doodles are creative and rather impressive.

Breanne is a runner.  Picture Forrest Gump.  That’s her. She runs and runs and runs and never seems to tire.  She’s FAST too. She recently joined a running club on campus and on the very first run, left them all in the dust.  Amazing!

Breanne doesn’t let the cares of the world drag her down.  She lives to enjoy live and all it offers. She is joyful and compassionate and loves life.

She is a blessing.

Taylor has a full schedule as a Junior in college this year.  She volunteers for several organizations on campus and also has a part time job off campus. Many of her class assignments are projects that require long hours of creative input outside of class, in addition to time spent in class.  She carries a full plate. Yet, Taylor is always up to the challenge of whatever lies ahead.  She forges through with dogged determination and fortitude. That impresses me.

She is a first born and has all the characteristics of the first child in a family.  Taylor is a hard worker.  She’s a leader. She’s responsible, an over achiever and focused. She’s a list maker, goal oriented and driven.  I love that.

She has amazing artistic ability.  Her drawings astound me.  This is new talent for her.  She also is an awesome photographer.  She has a keen eye and sees detail in small things. Taylor is well liked by all who know her.  She is easy to be with.  She has a great personality and is a good friend to others. Taylor makes sure things get done.  She brings joy to all who know her.

She is a blessing.

Jesse has a passion for the computer.  Somehow he talked us into buying him a Macbook a couple of Christmases ago.  The plan then was for him to use it to create apps. He hasn’t quite gotten to app development yet, but lately he’s been engrossed with learning Java.

He bought a book from the book store last weekend about writing code. He spent many long hours applying what he learned and created an online calculator.   He told me he could actually use it to figure out the answers to his Algebra homework.

That astounded me.

Jesse is serious.  He’s intense.  He likes knowing exactly what lies ahead. He doesn’t like change. He’s extremely intelligent.  He understands things well beyond my understanding.  Academics come easily to him, though he is studious and a hard worker.

Jesse likes structure and routine.  He keeps a pretty consistent schedule.  With his intelligence and aptitude for the computer, he will undoubtedly be the CEO of his own company someday.

He is kind and thoughtful.  At 14, he still likes to come and spend time with me.  He’ll reach out and grab my hand to hold while we talk.  I love that. Jesse enjoys Skyping with his friends.  They do homework together that way.  He’s inventive, creative and a thinker.

He is a blessing.

Chandler is compassionate well beyond her years.  She cares deeply for the feelings of others.  She is a helper.  She is a giver.  She loves Josiah with such intensity. She always has. She enjoys a special connection with him.  She doesn’t see disability.  He’s just her little brother.  I love that.

She seeks out those who may be mistreated and unloved and loves on them.  She cares for them and makes a difference. Chandler has many friends.  She loves to enjoy life.  She’s carefree and fun. Chandler gives the most amazing back scratches.  I wish you could experience them, even just once.  It would change your life.

Chandler also is a phenomenal writer.  She has a lot to say and is great at expressing herself. She recently started her own blog. Chandler loves God.  She is open to learning more about Him.  She prays often.  She memorizes scripture.  She asks lots of questions about God and about Heaven.

She is a blessing.

These are Josiah’s siblings.  These are the amazing kids who journey with us on this crazy, chaotic whirlwind that is our life. They have endured much.  They have sacrificed a lot.  They have undoubtedly grown because of the journey.

I often write about Josiah.  Today I just wanted to shine a spotlight on the others.