Happy Birthday Lauren

Our world was changed four years ago when God blessed us with a little girl....still our only little girl, surrounded by a brood of brothers. We love the touches of pink throughout our day. This post is dedicated to our sweet daughter Lauren Jana.

You still wear "hair pretties" everyday.....

You are very talkative and enjoy being around people.....

You are really into drawing right now.....

Your chore is to set the table.....

You can be a bit bossy sometimes.....

You love to wear jewelry.....

You still play with your babies, but now prefer the real deal, your baby brother Adam...

You actually love to do housework, which helps keep me on my toes....

You love playing with your little girly friends.....

You love having your own journals, and are always drawing in them.....

You are not as emotional as you used to be.....

You are very affectionate.....

You love having lots of brothers, but.....

You really want a little sister.....

You like it when Noah gives you piggy-back rides.....

You are Daddy's girl for sure.....

You like to put on my face cream at night.....

You still share a room with Luke, but not much longer.....

You love to sing and hope to be in the children's choir at church next Fall.....

You asked to have spaghetti for your birthday dinner.....

Your favorite color is pink.....

You love to brush my hair, but.....

You cry when I brush yours.....

You really want to take piano lessons.....

You still have a shoe fetish.....

You love, love, love pretty dresses and skirts.....

You really enjoy playing outside.....

You like to get the mail.....

Your favorite band is The Good Shepherd Band, you recently started listening to them at bedtime.....

You are such a mother hen to your little brothers.....

You were excited to get your "pink" laptop.....

You helped make your birthday cupcakes.....

You like to pick out your own clothes, and you do a pretty good job at putting together cute outfits.....

You have only had your hair trimmed three times in your life.....

You just learned how to write your name.....

You always ask me to color with you.....

You like to lay on Daddy's back when we say our evening prayers.....

You love stickers.....

You beg to "do school" like your big brothers.....

You have your own "pink" Bible.....

You are definitely my sidekick in the kitchen, always asking questions and wanting to help.....

You love to serve dessert at our small group each Sunday.....

You have the sweetest giggle.....

You love books.....

You run to the door everyday when Daddy comes home from work.....

You love to have your fingernails painted.....

You pray for certain people everyday.....

You make me cry sometimes when you pray.....

You like it when Nate reads "Frog and Toad" to you.....

You love to talk on the phone.....

I will never forget the day that we found out that we were having a little girl, Daddy named you right away and we were both instantly in love.   You were named after your Daddy's mommy who went to heaven when he was a little boy.  Your name is very special, and you will always be our special girl. I still get emotional when I hear your prayers....it's amazing how God uses such a little girl to lift so many people up in prayer. You never let us forget to pray....and have special people that you pray for. 

You were so sweet when I opened my hope chest and gave you my jewelry box that I kept from when I was a little girl.....I was hoping that it would mean something to you.  (I saved it in hopes that someday I would have a daughter to share it with.)  I smiled when you came downstairs this morning holding it in your precious little hands. You like listening to the music it plays, and watching the tiny ballerina as she spins around. 

 Daddy and I pray for you everyday....we pray that God will do a mighty work in your heart, that you would recognize your need for a Savior, and put your trust in Jesus Christ. We pray that you will grow up to be a godly woman....who will embrace the calling of being a wife and a mother, and know what a beautiful calling it is. We are so very thankful for your life and what a blessing you are to us....even through the challenges of raising you, we Praise God for your life.  I am thankful to have someone to sit on the couch with while we watch Daddy and your brothers wrestle.....it will only be a matter of time before Adam joins in. Having a daughter makes me so very much aware of the influence that I can have on another person.....I feel privileged and completely inadequate at the same time. I pray for God's grace to help me be a good mama to you and I hope that the bond that we share will only grow stronger.

Happy Birthday Lauren....

I Love You,

Mommy