An Amazing Woman

I want to introduce you to an amazing woman. Her name is Bonnie Leigh Butler Isenburg. She is wife to Rusty and mom to Madelyn (age 8), Trayden (age 5) and Ansleigh (age 3). She is a Grievance Quality Technician at the Blue Cross Blue Shield facility in Abilene. And she is my daughter!

I admire Bonnie for so many reasons and I thought I would share just a few of them with you here:

* She is a beautiful young woman. Just look at that smile...and those blue eyes...she sparkles and lights up any room she walks into!

* She is a devoted wife and mother. She stays up late, even after putting in a full day at work, to bake cupcakes for her kids' class when there's a special occasion.

* She devotes time to her church, working with the Youth, because she has a special burden on her heart for young people - especially those struggling through the awkward teen years.

* She is a rabid New Kids on the Block fan! If she weren't happily married, I have no doubt she would be stalking Joey McIntyre.

* She is a loyal mate to Rusty and works hard to make their home happy, comfortable and a refuge from the outside world.

* She has a strong sense of family and tradition and always makes time for family gatherings - even if it means shuffling from one set of grandparents' house to the next with toddlers who haven't had a nap.

* She has overcome some real obtacles in her life. Last year, she broke her leg over the Memorial Day weekend. She had to wait from Saturday night until the following Wednesday, with her severely fractured tibia in a temporary splint, before it could be surgically set with a metal rod. Even though the doctors warned her she might have a permanent limp, she coped with splints, crutches, a walker, intense pain and a household with two kids to run - and made a remarkable recovery. She doesn't even have a slight limp!

* She is a selfless friend. Just ask her best friend, Amber, who lost one of her infant twins, Aiden, less than three years ago. Bonnie took off work, drove to Fort Worth and spent countless hours consoling her friend, helping out with Alex (the surviving twin) and even holding vigil over Aiden while he was on life support for several days.

I admire Bonnie for her spirit, her gracious nature and her commitment to life. I love Bonnie as a daughter and a friend. I'm thankful every day that she is a part of my life!