Leanna, my Sweet Redheaded Niece

Leanna with her daughters Lauren 14 and Abby 7

 My niece is five years younger than my daughters, but when she was born we all fell in love with her. She has always been very amiable so even though she was the youngest my daughters and niece never felt like she was a bother or too young to be part of playing dolls or Barbies. 

Leanna is the cute little redhead with her baby brother Landon and cousins Lisa and Shana

I have enjoyed watching her grow up into a wonderful woman of God, wife, and mother of two daughters.  She has been able to prioritize her life so that she can work a full-time job and also attend college to pursue a dream of becoming a licensed marriage counselor. She has become a Dallas Cowboys football fan as her husband loves that team.

Mike the Dallas Cowboy fan

My sweet niece

When Leanna was growing up we lived in different states, but I would see her on holidays and summer vacation. Some of my fondest memories are of her and her brother Landon coming to our house for summer vacation. By that time my daughters were married and living on their own so having my niece and nephew come to visit was special for all of us. We would stay up late watching movies or playing SkipBo or other games. I remember one summer we took them to a Cardinals baseball game in St Louis and they encouraged me to do my first wave! We went sightseeing one day and Leanna and my husband were brave enough to go up into the arch, but my nephew and I fizzled out and stayed on the ground and waited for them to return.


As the years went by she graduated from high school and then they moved to Tulsa. It was great having her in the same town and I got to see her on a regular basis. I remember when she attended a 12-week discipleship class for women called, "Victory by Virtue" and how it changed her life. She then became a leader in that ministry and eventually started a virtue class for teen girls.  

Leanna and her mom Laurie

My husband and I were able to officiate at her wedding and that was also very special. She married a wonderful man that that loves God, her, and his children. We were blessed when they agreed to work with my husband and I on marriage encounter weekends. Mike and Leanna were so anointed to share their marriage testimony and because of their openness couples received the ministry that they needed in their own marriages. Here are some pictures of Mike and Leanna with their daughters Lauren and Abby.

The Harvey family, Mike, Leanna, Lauren, and Abby

Leanna with her girls

Leanna is very close to her cousins Cindi, Shana, and Lisa.  They tell people that they are not only cousins but also best friends.

Leanna, Lisa, Shana, and Cindi

The cousins on a weekend trip to Dallas to shop at IKEA

Leanna with her two precious daughters Lauren 14 years old and Abby 7 years old and her mom Laurie.

Leanna enjoying family time with her girls and her mother Laurie

 
Leanna has so many giftings. I appreciate her mercy gift and ability to see the best in people. She is very much a people person and makes people feel comfortable around her as she is very accepting.

When I got my first iPhone she came over to my house and set it up and walked me through the steps of how to use it. There were times I would mess something up and send out an SOS and she would always patiently calm me down and help get me back on track.

We work in the same building and often I text her and ask for help when I get over my head in a computer project or mess something up.  She looks at my filing system and shakes her head and tells me someday we are going to have to get my computer files organized.  She said it amazes her that someone, as organized as I am, could have such unorganized Word files.   

Leanna is a wonderful woman of God and I am so blessed to have this precious redheaded niece in my life! 

A picture of us taken at Leanna's home when she hosted the annual Christmas collectible