My favorite things...about Hadley

I have been a little preoccupied lately and not able to write as much as I would like, but thought I would quickly jot down some of my favorite things about Hadley...things she does that are so adorable and a part of who she is.

• Her curiosity in people and things around her.
• Scrunching her nose (and the rest of her face) at her daddy.
• The way she laughs (really loud) at me when I dance and sing (how does she know that I am trying to be funny?)
• How she pulls the blinds in her room and lets them bang against the wall when she is suppose to be taking a nap...and then her reaction when she is caught.
• Excitement that constantly lights up her face.
• Her cheeks and beautiful eyes.
• Her hand-eye coordination is honestly impressive! :)
• Her eskimo kisses.
• The way she grabs your face with both hands and gives you love.
• When she is melting down and only calmed by me (I cherish these moments with her).
• Her loud "ahhhh" noise when she is really happy.
• How she sings and hums herself to sleep.
• That she sleeps with her mouth wide open and cuddles with her music bear.
• How she loves being outdoors.
• How a sneeze will scare her to death, but falling off the bed is nothing to fear.
• How peek-a-boo never gets old.
• The way she giggles when she sees a dog....

As I write down some of these things, it makes me think about this past weekend of Hadley's dedication at church. All of the things that I listed are apart of who she is and who God intended her to be...and serve as such a reminder to me of the great gift Bobby and I have been given. She has brought so much contentment and joy to our life during what is otherwise filled with a lot of unknowns and questions.

Hadley, your mommy and daddy vowed yesterday to raise you to know and to love the Lord and it is a responsibility that we take seriously. We were blessed to have parents that made that same commitment 29+ years ago and have stood firmly in their faith as they raised us. As kids, we did not always understand or like the decisions they made, but we now know they were following God's plan that has a purpose and direction. So I know you also will probably question some of the decisions we make, but I hope you know and trust that we seek His guidance and approval in all that we do as parents...for as Matthew 19:14 says, "Let the little children come to me and do hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." My prayer for your life is that you lean on Him, that you trust Him and that you are used by Him all the days of your life. You are loved and loved and loved by us, little girl of mine. Eskimo kiss.