Nine years ago yesterday, she entered the world, right on her due date, in spite of multiple attempts on my part to convince her to come early.  Her labor was the shortest and easiest by far, a stark contrast to what her first few years would bring.  I’ve written before of how our third born has given me a run for my money from day one and how she turned my whole world upside and regularly caused me to question everything I thought I knew about parenting and how she daily amazes me with her capacity to love others right where they are.

Since that post two years ago, I have continued to watch her grow and be amazed.  She has taught me to be more sensitive with my words, more intentional with my touch, more selfless with my time.  She prays with great faith and has the honesty to question why sometimes God doesn’t seem to hear.  She wants to be a missionary and already shares the gospel regularly with her friends.  She wears her heart on her sleeve, but has incredible compassion for others.  At only nine, she has a way with babies and little children that I’ve never had.  She has a zeal for life and energy like no other.  She is naturally strong and agile and can climb like a human monkey.  She is passionate and does nothing halfway, except maybe cleaning her room.

Chandler is far, far, far from perfect and we rub each other wrong far too often, but she is genuinely striving to be more like her Savior and we’re learning together what that looks like.  When God brought her into our world nine years ago, I was not prepared to be a mother to three children under three.  But He gave great grace (and my own mom who was unemployed for six months) and I wouldn’t trade this tender-hearted wild child for the world.

Happy 9th Birthday, Chandler.  I know God has big plans for you and I am so blessed that He has chosen me to be part of them.  I love you!