A Happy Diversion

My baby turned one last week. What a joy it is to celebrate life, knowing that every breath is a gift! We are so incredibly blessed to have enjoyed this year with our girl. It is all grace, and we are thankful.

I am often reminded of grace when I look at my littlest girl. I remember when she was three months old. She was lying on the couch, and I was playing with her. In a matter of seconds, she went from smiling and happy to losing consciousness. I remember picking her up and calling her name with no response. In that moment, I thought I was losing her. But then she opened her eyes. And I held her as I called the doctor and explained what had happened. We spent that night in the hospital, and I can still remember her little body lying in that big hospital bed, her big eyes just looking at me as a host of doctors performed tests on her heart, brain, and nerves. At the end of it all, they said she was a seemingly healthy baby, which to a mother, is both good and bad news. I was so thankful that nothing seemed to be seriously wrong. But to not have any explanation for what had happened opened the door for all kinds of fears, primarily the fear that it would happen again and that I would lose her.

Praise God that it has not happened again. Praise God that she is growing and happy and thriving. Even in this year, which has been full of transition, a year that has left my girls without a permanent home or consistent place to lay their heads, my baby has done so well. She has never had a room to call her own or a fancy crib or a decorated nursery with her name spelled out on the walls. But she is happy. And we are so blessed.

I remember being reminded, during that scare months ago, that my children are not ultimately mine but rather God’s. And He, not me, is their ultimate protector. He called me to trust Him then, and He calls me to trust Him now. As we are living in this foreign place filled with unknown realities and genuine fears, I am forced to give my children and their well-being up to the Lord...and rest in the knowledge that He loves them far more than I ever could. He is rejoicing in His image displayed in their little lives. And I pray God would choose to save our girls and display His image and glory even more fully and beautifully.

I am so thankful that the Lord has lovingly given us our girls, and we so enjoyed celebrating our littlest one, a happy diversion from language study and culture overload. Our mode of celebration was different than it would have been if we had been with our family and friends in the States. But we still enjoyed a lovely day together, rejoicing over our beautiful, happy, easygoing, very active, at times very feisty, cuddly one-year-old girl. Her presents may have been wrapped in trash bags and pillow cases, but I was able to make some chocolate cake and frosting thanks to the Hershey’s cocoa I brought with me. And there were balloons and laughter and dancing. Because, let me just say...my little girl LOVES to dance, and she dances just like her daddy. :)

Grace. All grace.

Here are some pictures of the day.



Little A opening her birthday gifts from my sister, brother-in-law, and their girls while Skyping with them. A blessing.

E being a big helper and opening the gifts for her sister. 

Birthday breakfast...whole wheat pancakes with cinnamon syrup. Yum, yum.

We're ready for a party.

My one-year-old girl!

Opening her gifts. Yay for toys!

Singing happy birthday. E was so cute. She kept hugging A and saying, "I love you." So sweet how excited she was for her baby sister.

My girl likes chocolate. She gets it honest.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY sweet girl!