11 Months
Well you’re 11 months old now and of course I love you more each day. Here are a few of my most favorite things right now:
- Bath time is so much fun! You just splash around and giggle.
- When you don’t want to eat anymore you pucker your lips out and make a motor boat sound
- You crawl all the way over to the large picture frame which holds probably 15 pictures and point up at it saying “DaDa”.
- I say “Im going to get you” and you get all giggly and try running away from me.
In the midst of all the ups & downs I have experienced lately you are my joy! I was telling Grandpa the other day that even when it feels like everything around me is falling apart or going unplanned you are the one thing that is consistent in my life, I can always count on coming home to a smiling up beat little girl whos light covers all the dark. I am blessed beyond what I deserve because you are my little girl. Now while all this is true, I will say I was wrong in saying you were the only consistent thing in my life. Because God is always there and always for us. This is something that can easily be forgotten if you are not walking with Him as close as you should be. Lean on Him, pray to Him when times are hard He is there with you all the time and He is your light. Nothing shakes Him and He wants to take any worries you may have off of your shoulders. He loves me like I love you and loves you more than I can imagine.
Love you sweetie. Here is a couple of pics!
Confusion…..
Lots of things swirling around right now. I will write you about it in a day or two. I am trying to seek Gods direction in all of this and Lance constantly reminds me that God is not the author of confusion. Please remember that when things get hectic or you feel like you have so many things swirling around you that you need to decide on.
On another not you started daycare and your mom and I hate it. We want you home! I will say I stayed back to watch you and you immediately started smiling at the kid who was crying and then you started trying to talk to him. You’re already such a little “bringer of joy” to all around you.
Daddy
Be Still……
“Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46;10……I love The Message version though “Take a long, loving look at me, your High God….”
I hope you find yourself doing this often, focus on Him, hear Him, and enjoy the love & protection He offers. Be still when things are hard, when you are scared, or just when you need to be reminded that He is there.
You are growing so quickly, 8 months old now and there isn’t an hour that goes by I don’t stop to look at your picture on my phone. Your Mom and I are so thankful God chose us to be your Mommy & Daddy.
I have been studying a lot of about Human Trafficking issues and I must admit you inspire me to stand up for these little girls who don’t have a Daddy to stand up for them. I would expect that if I wasn’t here someone would stand up for you when need be.
I want to leave you with a quote from the COO of Charity:Water “Doing good is not as important as being good”. Be a transparent, Godly, good woman!
Love you soooooooooooooo much.
Costa Rica Day 2 & 3
I would do anything to hold you right now! I really miss your little face. Grandma came to help Mommy with you while I was gone for the first part of the week and Grammie came to help the 2nd part so I know you are just fine but it doesn’t make it much easier. I haven’t really had the opportunity to skype with you because its pretty much morning to late night doing stuff here. A few highlights from the last couple days:
- Impressed with how much it feels like family here. We don’t just get together work and talk about God but we actually spend time like a family
- Even the bus driver has joined in. He helped us cook and made a vegetable brush out of leaves
- Got a little further on the green house, discussed future chicken coop, and used our left over pvc to build rabbit hutches
- Visited La Carpio and saw a place where the poverty level is insane, but learned these people just want to be loved and make money for their families.
- Had dinner at a place with an amazing view
- Dreamed about a vacation home here (how awesome would that be)
- Made a friend who I hope I can keep in touch with
- Tomorrow is rafting & zip lining. Friday night I am home!
Love ya.
Costa Rica
So I have left you for a couple days but never a week. I will be here in Costa Rica for almost a week visiting our orphanage. I worry about silly things like “will she know who I am”, “will she be excited to see me”, “does she notice Im gone”. Anyway I miss you and think about you often. Here are some highlights from day 1:
- Woke up to pancakes and eggs
- Worked all day on building a greenhouse
- I tried to sneak away as often as possible to play with the kids
- Made my day when one of the little 2yr old girls ask for me to hold her
- Holding her made me think of you and your Mom back home
- Ate a delicious lunch prepared by one of the house moms
- My face and head were sunburned bad!
- Played on the playground with the children
- Grilled hamburgers & hotdogs with everyone from the orphanage and our group
And good night!
Thinking of you too much….
Well it has been a little while since I wrote, not much has changed lately. So here are a few things that have crossed my mind:
- I find myself thinking about or anticipating that moment when I walk in from work and you have that big ole’ grin on your face.
- I love watching you eat your food…….your’re getting so big
- You squeak when you’re happy
- I keep running across so many girls in the ministry who are crying out for attention, hurting, or just plain insecure because they’re daddy wasn’t who he was supposed to be. I have probably already said this but no matter what I will not let that be you. I will love you and be by your side the whole way. Being your daddy is a privilege!
Daddy daycare
I love my daddy daycare days…….really I do. I adore you, you take your bib flip it over your own face and then panic. But can you please stop saving the world record blow outs for our day? Save that for when Mom is home. Okay love ya and those beautiful eyes!
P.S. doctor hinted around to you being the worlds smartest baby at your 6 month check up or at least thats the way I took it.
Love ya
Just wanted to say I love you so much! You help inspire me and I love laying there with you when you are mellowing out. You just look up at me and reach for my face usually to pull on my goatee or just play with my bottom lip. I love those little things.
1 Timothy 6:11 Follow what is right and good. Pursue a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
I will always be there
Okay so I got to be the first one to see you rollover from your back today. You are really trying to crawl now too. Grandma always brags about how I walked at 8 months so sorry if you feel like I have been pressuring you to walk ;)
Lately your new obsession is Cadence, she is very gentle with you and sometimes you just sit there and scream at her so she will come look at you. My new obsession is when I first walk in or get your attention and you smile at me then hide your face in your mommy’s shoulder like your shy all of the sudden.
Mark did a message this weekend about raising a princess. It was a good reminder of things I had read in “Strong fathers, Strong daughters”. He spoke about how important the role of a father is in a daughters life and the impact we have in speaking affirming words to our girls. I want you to know that there is nothing that will ever cause me to turn my back on you. I will always affirm you, I will always believe in you, and I will always be there to support you. I’m sure we will have tough times but you are my little girl, you are my little princess and I will stand by you and love you more than you can imagine. I am so thankful that God blessed me and gave me the privilege to be your daddy.
Here is a pic of you and Cadence!
Far from Home
Hey baby girl-
Monday was the first time since you were born that I left for an over night stay, actually two nights to be exact. Thanks to the great Skype I was able to see your pretty little face. I had a very inspiring trip with some very Kingdom minded men. One was only 22 years old but God has used him to orchestrate the building of water wells to provide water to over 50,000 people. The other a company who exists to partner with businesses, churches, and non-profits impacting His Kingdom. I didn’t even think about how it would feel leaving you. I chose to ride in the back with you so I could stare at your face the whole ride. As you held on to my fingers you drifted to sleep and I teared up. I missed you so much. I missed being home, but I realized when I was out that home wasn’t the house, and it wasn’t Houston. Home for me is in you and your moms presence. I believe God is always present but I can feel His very breath when we are together and happy. No matter where you go in this life home will be with us until you have your own family (and sometimes even after) and God will always be holding you in His arms, at times so close you can feel the heaviness of His breath.
Random Daze theme by Polaraul
