You are a treasure and we love you!
What a weekend we had celebrating together doing some of your favorite things, like...
turtle hunting at the cabin
canoeing with Daddy and Luke
cartwheels!
brotherly love...
another step to completing the bedroom for you and Emma Kate (new bedding!)
Look how much you've grown in the five years since we met you!
This is our first picture together, on June 6, 2005.
You were the bravest little girl, sweet Anna
Watching you embrace life, grow in love, and seeing the joy with which you greet each day is a gift to our family.
We have a family tradition of going around the dinner table and sharing things about the birthday girl/boy that we especially love/appreciate about them.
Anna, this year you were able to not only hear those words of celebration and love with your mind, but drink them in to your heart. Seeing your shy smile and sparking eyes as we each recounted the special ways we see God working in and through you was like water to my soul. There were long years of planting, and I see a harvest in you now! Your solemnness as we spoke blessing over you was a beautiful picture of you acknowledging the truth of our words for your life. Your eyes, shimmery because they were filled with tears, showed your Daddy and me how very far we all have come together.
You are a blessing, Anna. A precious, beautiful blessing to us. And we are profoundly grateful to the Lord, for His call and hand in forming our family.
You were purposed from before the very foundations of the world were laid. And God took care of you from before the beginning. We stand witness to the mountains He moved on your behalf. And mountains they were! Your life is a testimony to His glory and His protection, His lovingkindness and His deep affection toward you. We will recount His name to you forevermore, Anna Elaine Juan.
"For the Lord your God is with you, Anna.
HE is mighty to save,
He takes GREAT delight in you,
He quiets you with His love,
He dances and sings over you as on a day of festival"
- Zephaniah 3:17 (paraphrased)
And we join Him in the dance.
With all our love and then more,
Momma and Daddy
3 comments:
Happy birthday sweet Anna! LOVE this post (like most) it made me cry. :) Sara, your blog is beautiful. It's such a peaceful, inspiring place to pop into during Teddy's naptime.
I'm the "Rensselaer, NY" on your livefeed...you get curious don't you!?! :)
Oh! Katie! I love knowing it is you! I did wonder...you know me well. :) I'll pass your birthday greetings along to Anna banana. She refers to you as, "that really pretty girl who brought those super yummy cookies and her really, really cute baby, Teddy". I figure that is a really great way to be remembered!
I hope all is well with you and your sweet family. How are things going? Are you in NY now?
Gosh, we miss you!
LOVE that memory description! :) Things are going really well! We've been here in Albany for a little over a year, but the project is actually coming to a close tomorrow so we are set to fly home on Sunday! Woohoo! The next big project will be in South Dakota so that's our next destination. It will be great to be closer to home. Teddy is absolutely in love with his grandparents, so I know he'll be thrilled. Thinking about you all often, especially Luke and Emma. Always in my prayers.
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