Happy Birthday, #3!

My baby turns six today at 9:50 am! I'm slightly devastated! Last night at church I saw some toddlers dancing during worship in the front of the church and my heart melted with memories of mine at that age doing the very same thing! My, how time flies! #3 is my sweet little girl who still calls me Mama and most days I would like to freeze time and keep her exactly this age. But, that will stop her from growing into all that God has for her. And, I can't wait to see that either.

This was the "surprise" baby, but also a baby that God used to bring a lot of healing needed from my miscarriage 4 months prior to becoming pregnant with her. To lose a baby is very hard, but the grief was overshadowed by the pure joy in knowing #3 would not be here if God's plan had worked out differently (that's not to say she's "better" than the baby I lost, or God's plans included a miscarriage, I'm not saying that at all. He allowed all this to happen with a purpose in mind that we cannot understand.). She is who God placed in our family and I literally rejoice over that fact every day.

She is filled with this charismatic personality that draws people of all ages to her. She is rarely shy, and is quick to make friends at the McDonald's Play Place or Chuck E. Cheese. #3 is the strongest willed child in the house, more than the other 2 combined most days. God is helping us to learn to harness her "powers" for the good of mankind. Strong willed isn't a bad thing unless it is allowed to turn into rebellion. We walk that line just about everyday trying to discern what's going on with her. Thankfully, she is eager to please her teachers at school, but not to the point of backing down from her beliefs. When her teacher was handing out Halloween stickers, she said "No, thank you. I'm a Christian". The teacher gave her a flower sticker instead.

She is the person in this house that helps the rest of us to take life less seriously! Her favorite game to play with me after school is "Donkey". We go out on the trampoline and she rides on my back while I try to throw her off, all the while making donkey noises. This is "our thing" and we both crack up the entire time we are playing! She's funny without even knowing she's funny, partly because she's the youngest. When #1 turned six, I had an infant and a toddler and not much of a sense of humor in that season of life! Sleep deprivation does that, you know! If any of them were being funny, most of the time I didn't notice. And, back then, there was no way anyone was going to ride on my back while I made "EEY-AAHH" noises on the trampoline.

So, this precious #3 has a blessed, wonderful life ahead of her. While I love that she's still "little", I am looking forward to watching her grow into a mighty woman of God. I'm sure she'll make the journey interesting and exciting!