Happy First Birthday Sofia!

My Dear Sofia,

Today you turned 1! It is so hard to believe that only a short year ago you were born. This year has flown by and I can't believe this day has already come. It seems like just yesterday that we were in the hospital worrying about your dimple and everything came back clear from your ultrasound! What a praise that was. That week was such a whirlwind and everything seemed so surreal! I do know that it was by far one of the best moments in my life. I remember very clearly when your daddy announced very proudly that you were a girl. I remember very vividly what your first cry sounded like. I remember just staring at you and holding you saying how beautiful you were. What a year we have had! You were born and then your daddy graduated from seminary and we moved to Michigan! We moved into a new house and you finally got your own nursery!

Sofia, you have taught me so much about what being a mommy really means! You have showed me how selfish I was and am still today. Looking back on it, it is so crazy to me how quickly my priorities changed. Suddenly, the tv shows that I used to watch religiously were a thing of the past. All of the sleep that I used to need is not needed anymore! You have been such a sweet-spirited, easy-going, content baby. Your smile is so contagious and your giggles warm the room around you.

You are such a blessing to your mommy and daddy and we love you more than you will ever know! I pray that you will see that, but more importantly, I pray that you will see that God loves you more than we will ever know! We are so thankful that God chose us to be your parents! It is very difficult for me to remember that you are His child! You're not mine, you're His! I pray that the Lord will use you in great ways! I pray that you will grow up to come to know and love our Lord and Savior! I pray that as you grow up and choose to follow Him that we will support you 100% in whatever you feel led to do! I pray that we will raise you in a way that is holy and pleasing to HIM and HIM alone!

I pray that we will have many more years like this to come! We are so looking forward to watching you grow up. I'm excited to see you take your first steps. I'm excited to hear you begin to talk. I'm excited to see you blossom into the young lady that you are already becoming!

I love you so much Sofia and I know I have so much to be thankful for during this week of Thanksgiving! Praise the Lord for
He is good!

Happy First Birthday my precious daughter!

I love you!