Previously Post on Other Blog.

Recently, I saw someone share a post that said something along the lines of “As a parent the days often feel never ending, yet the years fly by in the blink of an eye” And wow, did that resonate with me (already). It feels like just yesterday that Phil and I were on our way to meet our sweet baby girl (read that eventful story here) and now she is walking around and talking. The first year of Isabel’s life felt like a whirlwind in so many ways and I treasure each memory and every new stage of development that we have gone through.

We were so blessed to be able to celebrate Isabel’s first birthday with dear friends and family; even some family from other states were able to make it in for the weekend. With a lot of help from family, we had a beautiful spread of appetizer food, such as charcuterie board, veggie tray, chips and salsa, guacamole, two different salads, meatballs, and carrot cake cupcakes. Her birthday also gave us the opportunity to finally dedicate Isabel to the Lord, surrounded by our village (more on that later) and I am so thankful for Zoom and the ability to have family and friends from Pennsylvania take part in her dedication.

We asked people to write her letters to be opened on her 18th birthday, a tradition that we also hope to continue with our other children. For those of you that have had the opportunity to interact with Isa, you know that she is definitely not shy. She LIVES for parties and big groups of people. She had a blast running around and visiting with family. Watching Isabel eat her cake was, of course, a highlight of the day, especially as she proceeded to eat all of the berries off of her cake and pretty much ignore the icing. It was such a full day (in so many ways), and she continued to enjoy playing and running around until the moment I put her to bed where she fell asleep in less than a minute.

Birthdays, to me, are always special to celebrate the blessing of another year that the Lord has given us. As parents, it has even more meaning as we reflect on God’s provision and how he has entrusted us with our sweet little one year old. Each day she gets around faster and into more things, says more words and grows a bit sassier ;). She loves to pray and praise Jesus and even asks for her bible at night. I cherish each moment with our Isabel. I think I mentioned before, but Isabel’s name means God is bountiful (or pledged to God) and both meanings are beautiful reflections of what God has done in our lives and we truly desire to continue lifting her life up to the Lord and raising her to know and walk with him.

“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him.” –Psalm 127:3