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Happy First Birthday Maddie Grace!



We are finally getting settled in our permanent home here.  And I am exhausted. From unpacking a house.  With three babies.  And working a job.   I wish I had an amazing post full of deep things to share, but to be perfectly honest I can barely keep my eyes open as I type this!  Nevertheless, I have not shouted to the world how thankful I am even in this difficult season of Makiah’s heaven day to have a reason to celebrate...  my reason came as a complete and total surprise.  The BEST surprise of my life (my other kids weren’t surprises so I can say that).  She has blonde hair and blue eyes, and she loves to snuggle.  She cuddles and kisses and ends every night tucked in our bed where she has to be touching both of us.  She is vibrant and full of life and joy, and I can’t tell you how many times I have thought that she was sent to bring kisses from heaven!  

She is my Maddie Grace.  And she just turned one!  In case you missed the miracle of her coming, please check it out  HERE.   Her party was late because of the move. It landed between Kiah’s heaven day and the day we buried her.

God seems to know just what we need.  I mourned my Makiah, and I celebrated my Maddie.  All in the same week.  And Abby reminded me of the thing I needed to hear one night right smack in the middle of the two.  She had flopped onto my fluffy white duvet, and I was slipping her pajamas over her head.  “I have rainbow toes, Mom!”  Abby exclaimed.  I told her I knew and that we were wearing our rainbow toes to remember big sissy Makiah.  “Mommy, I want to show Makiah my rainbow toes,”  she said.  “Well, let’s ask Jesus if he will let Makiah see them in heaven.  Jesus, please let sissy Kiah see Abby’s rainbow toes.”   She repeated me.  Then, looking suddenly determined, she squeezed her eyes together and clenched her little hands into fists, and she burst out with “Courage, Mommy!”  I know I looked shocked.  She is only two, you know.  Where did that come from???   “Abby,”  I asked, “Why did you think to say that?”  Looking thoughtful, she replied, “Courage is... courage is God is not scared, Mommy.”  Then she flashed me a smile and took off down the hall.

Wow.  Even now it brings tears to my tired eyes.  Courage.  God is not scared.  Courage!  Sometimes that is what we need to walk through the days.  Sometimes we need to be like a little child.  So that we can enter the kingdom of heaven.  So tonight I am celebrating all four of the little people that God has sent me to teach me what that means.  But especially my Maddie Gracie because she had her very first birthday!



Maddie hates cake and cupcakes, but she loves pumpkin muffins!  



The twins descend on the pumpkins!


Sharing a caterpillar... Kiah would be proud!






Happy Birthday Maddie Grace!

And click HERE  for a few of Maddie Grace's official birthday pics!

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