Gracie Turns 4!

Here we are, another birthday for Gracie. It is hard for us to believe it is her 4th. She has grown into a little girl, and apparently we had our backs turned. I try to watch both of them so closely so that I don't miss a minute of their lives. But they still grow overnight when I am sleeping. Amazing how that happens. We made a cake, bought presents, and sang her a very Happy Birthday song. She was a princess for a day! Oh, who are we kidding? She thinks she is a princess full time. There is never a dull moment when raising little ones, even though you will find yourself praying for one! I find it so odd when I hear my student's at work comment on how "boring" life is. It is almost as though I do not even know the meaning of the word! You know it is pretty bad when you are out and about, ALONE, and when you hear the cry of another woman's child you feel the urge to go and take care of them too. I have to actually force myself to sit for any lengthy period of time, and forget about "doing nothing". Before I even knew what happened, I turned into this super productivity obsessed person. However, Gracie teaches me to look at all kinds of things in life in a different way. With each year, she grows more sweet and vibrant. She is a true ray of sunshine and burst of freshness! Everyone knows when she is in the room:) It is true that children depend on their parents, and I know that Gracie depends on us. But in reality, it is more that we depend on her. On her birthday this year we told her the story of her birth, and how she took forever to come into this world. She had her own timing from the beginning! She loves to hear her birth story and loves to know that she is cared for and appreciated. Truth be told, we have no idea where we would be without her. She made me a mom, and she changed our lives forever. It is amazing how "big" little one's birthdays can be for the grown ups! It is difficult to explain why we had tears as we sang the Happy Birthday song, although I am sure that you parents out there know what I mean.

Another year older, another phase finished....
And yet, another year has begun and another phase has started! I have to admit, I am really loving the little girl she has become! What a blessing! (Ok so at night when she is fighting sleep, we might not feel so warm and fuzzy towards her; it is a good thing God made her adorable!).

Happy Birthday Little Gracie...