A Long Difficult Week

I have not posted much of anything this week and felt that I should sit down and at least express a tad of my emotions and thoughts here, since this effects the entire family.
We have hit a big wall this week and in my amazement have handled it quite well. I am not going to go into detail here but am saddened to say that our niece will no longer be living in our home. I can not express how much this pains us and hurts us. We are not upset that she is leaving, she will be missed, but we are not sad or angry because she is moving.
We are deeply sad and full of sorrow because of her deliberate choices she is making and we see the pain that her choices will cause her down the road...but we are dealing with a 15 year old going on 40 who knows everything and thinks she is so much smarter than the average bear. We will not miss her defiant ways and her constant turmoil that she brings here. Don't get me wrong, she is a good kid she is simply making REALLY bad choices and admits that she knows they are wrong but "she doesn't want to follow the rules." She has also said she "has a problem with authority" Agency..it can be a beautiful thing, with that said need I say more? Oh and as President Uchtdorf said at our Stake Conference (a week before he became a member of the 1st presidency) "We have the agency to choose, We Do Not have the agency to choose our consequence."
I am all cried out and literally have no tears left, and at the end of my three days of crying I have come to be able to let this go, that is the power of prayer and finding peace where only peace and love reside.
Even though Royce and I are left literally with broken hearts and a distinct feeling that we have been fruitless in our efforts, deep inside I know that some how some where we really did help in bringing the love and light of Christ into our niece's heart. (even though she will totally deny that right now) I know someday down the road she will wake and and realize that we really weren't so tuff after all and that the things we live and have taught her are true.
Oh and for the record...I am so grateful I am no longer a teenager who thinks she knows everything...I am REALLY grateful I am not a teen in today's day and age..uggg to be a teen Sophomore again..NO THANKS!! So here's to the "greener pastures" she believes she is running too, some of us are just blind to the bigger picture.
And so I let her go and wave good bye and can now turn to my children and give them my full UN-divided attention again and not have a 15 year old demanding every last fiber of me.