ASHLI

ASHLI IS VERA'S OLDEST GRANDDAUGHTER.

SHE IS NOW 15 YEARS OLD AND IS SIX FEET TALL.

NO, SHE DOESN'T PLAY BASKETBALL.

AT LEAST NOT YET.

WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE THO.

SHE IS A VERY ATHLETIC YOUNG GIRL

AND CAN PRETTY MUCH DO ANYTHING SHE SETS HER MIND TO DO.

WE THINK THAT SHE IS GOING TO DO GREAT THINGS

IN THE YEARS THAT ARE AHEAD.

AT THIS POINT IN TIME,

SHE SAYS THAT SHE WOULD LIKE TO BE VETERINARIAN.

SHE LOVES ANIMALS AND IS VERY GOOD WITH THEM.

I DON'T GET TO SEE ASHLI AS OFTEN AS I WOULD LIKE TO,

BUT AM THANKFUL FOR THE TIMES

THAT I DO GET TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH HER.

ASHLI USED TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH US

WHEN SHE WAS A LITTLE GIRL,

SO SHE IS VERY SPECIAL TO US.

WE HAVE SOME GREAT STORIES ABOUT HER

WHEN SHE WAS LITTLE.

MAYBE ONE OF THESES DAYS

I'LL SHARE THEM WITH YOU.

HOWEVER, ONE OF THE CUTEST THAT I REMEMBER,

WAS WHEN ASHLI WAS ABOUT 3 OR 4 YEARS OLD.

SHE WAS JUST LEARNING ABOUT POLICEMEN,

AND HOW THEY PROTECT US

AND ALSO HOW THEY GO AFTER THE 'BAD' PEOPLE

AND ARREST THEM AND SOMETIMES PUT THEM IN JAIL.

ONE NIGHT I WAS TELLING HER THE STORY OF CREATION.

I TOLD HER ABOUT THE DIFFERENT DAYS OF CREATION

AND WHAT GOD DID ON THAT PARTICULAR DAY.

I THEN SAID, 'AND ON THE SEVENTH DAY HE RESTED'.

WITHOUT BLINKING ON EYE, ASHLI SAT UP REAL STRAIGHT,

WITH EYES WIDE OPEN,

AND SAID IN A VERY SURPRISED VOICE,

'HE GOT ARRESTED?'

NEEDLESS TO SAY,

WE HAD TO TRY NOT TO LAUGH AT THAT POINT,

AND GO ON TO EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN 'RESTED' AND 'ARRESTED'.

AREN'T KIDS FUN?

I LOVE ASHLI TO DEATH

AND AM ALWAYS HAPPIER WHEN SHE'S AROUND.