Bossy and Beco

Swings

Standing Out

I was graciously asked to write a guest post for the blog, "A Crowded Nest," this week. I wrote about something that we have a lot of experience with as a transracial adoptive family: turning heads and receiving comments.  :) You can read it here: Standing Out

Gethsemane's Birth and Adoption Video

Gethsemane's Birth and Adoption

Last Day of Two

Gethsemane Turns Three

My baby girl is three. Gethey, there are so many moments of this third birthday that my heart caught in my throat and I thought to myself, I have to remember this. I have to remember that you love the color pink and hedgehogs more than anything in the world. Every time I would ask you what kind of cake you wanted for your birthday, you would say, "A PINK Cake!" I woke up early this morning and decorated the pinkest pink cake I could, thinking the entire time about how your face would look when you saw it. You woke up and I carried you into the kitchen and opened the fridge, and your face lit up:"It's PINK!!!"

Daddy took you to the store to get pink balloons for your party this morning and stopped to take you out on a Starbucks date to get a vanilla steamer and pink donut. You couldn't wait to show me when you walked in the door, and we sat down at the table while you picked off tiny pink sprinkles for me to eat.

You wanted a pink crown with hedgers. Hedgers with bows.

How big are you, my baby.

I loved watching you at your party. While all the guests ate and talked, you were in your own little world, clutching Hedger and dragging this umbrella around, just waiting for it to be present and cake time.

You loved all your presents, and were so polite and grateful. You ran and plopped yourself into the lap of whoever gave you the gift to enjoy it with them after you opened it. When you were given your gift from me, you squealed even before you opened it exclaiming, "I'm gonna wuv it!!" It made me so happy, especially since gift giving is your love language, to see that you just knew a gift from me would be perfect.

Then it was cake time! The cake had melted in the heat and the candles wouldn't light, but you didn't care. It was still pink and I had still given you the world.

I love this picture of you with your loot. You desperately want to go on a fishing trip with Daddy, so you were so excited to get a pink fishing pole from him. You are to precious to me baby girl. 

Happy Birthday Party Day.

I love you.