Hello, Monday. What are you doing here so soon? Today is Day 17 of the #write31days challenge and my 31 Days of Gratitude 2016.I have a busy week scheduled so the posts this week may be short and sweet.

When I write on the blog about my kids, I’ll talk a lot about my boys because they are young and playful and they enjoy when I tell stories about them.

I used to write about Bella a lot when she was little but now, at the age of 15, I give her more privacy and don’t speak about her as much. I am making an exception because today I am grateful for the time we have shared this past week. Now that she is in high school she has a different schedule than the boys. She enjoyed a week long Fall Break, which meant the two of us were alone without the guys in the family for eight hours every day. We had fun shopping for her Homecoming Dance dress, going out to lunch, volunteering for a school function, listening to her favorite artist (Shawn Mendes) and talking about different things in life. Sometimes it was trivial and had us laughing like crazy and some of it was deeper and touched my heart.

It’s not often we get to have quiet time together so this week was really special. I am proud of the young woman Bella is becoming. She has such a good heart and a ready smile. And no matter how old she gets,  she will always be my baby.

For the girl who made me a mother, I am truly thankful. 🙂

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For more 31 Days of Gratitude, visit the homepage here.

Want to join the writing challenge but are unable to write everyday? Join me for the Weekly Writing Challenge in October instead.