.This beautiful young lady is my oldest daughter who I often talk about in my blog. Her name is Terri (Stacey is her birth name). She is 22 years old and she is one of the best moms in this world.

I am so proud of her that words can not describe just how much love I have in my heart for her. She is the type of daughter I would wish for everyone. Now that does not mean she did not put me through age appropriate "Hell". It just means that we survived it and we have a very comfortable relationship.

When I hold her baby boys in my arms, I get this beautiful smile. Because to me it is like God giving me a glimpse of what it would have been like to hold her in my arms.

She came to me when she was 11. She was very much the MOM of the family. It took me a long time to get her to relax and let me be the mom and let herself be a normal 11 year old. Whatever that is.

One day her brother threw a rock at her and it hit her on the foot. She began to cry and all of her pain just came spilling out. The rock didn't hurt her that badly... it wasn't bleeding on the outside... it was the bleeding on the inside for the life she had been living that came out that day.

I sat there holding her and letting her cry it all out. It took almost an hour but after that there was a wonderful change in her personality. She became my Stacey.

After that point they could have offered me newborn twins in place of her and I would have kept my Stacey. She is so very precious to me and she always will be.

She is one of the main reasons I love older children. There is nothing more precious than to see an older child light up with life and be their own person.

I know there are other moms and dads who feel the same way about their adopted children. Let's hear some good stories about kids who have made life more special. All your comments are welcomed.