Happy Birthday Laura Elizabeth!

December 2012

Our Baby is 34 today. These have to be the fastest 34 years of my life and yet it seem we have always had her. I would give anything to be with her today. It is just not right that parents and children be separated on their birthdays. Such an important day should be, at the very least, celebrated with the key players present at the blessed event, don't ya think? But I am so grateful that we got to be with her for an entire month...I shall not think to complain or feel melancholy on such a glorious day. There are some of you that do not know Laura's story that I published last year and how she and we are so blessed that she was born and survived a rocky pregnancy and that the Lord was watching over all of us.

♥Laura ♥

What fills my heart with sunshine to the bursting point today is this beautiful youngest daughter we have been blessed with for the past 34 years today. Happy Birthday, Laura! I think we should have named you Laura Jo, and then added a Y after the JO for JOY.

My blood runs cold every year on this day when I think how hard the doctors leaned on us to terminate my pregnancy due to complications from me getting the chicken pox in my first trimester. I have never been so thankful for saying NO to that, never been so thankful for making the right choice. Never been so thankful for being able to hear the spirit whisper to us to trust in God and go forward in faith, no matter the outcome. That sweet confirmation that we made the right choice came instantly and I will never forget it, or deny it. The trial of our faith has been rewarded everyday since by a daughter that has been nothing but a blessing and pure joy every day of her life. It is so nice to know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that kind of life and death choice is not our stewardship, it is God's. You can read more about Laura's story here. If you do go to this link at the end of the story is a slide show and you can watch Laura grow up right before your eyes. Fun stuff!

A year ago and a few months ago.

And look how that one great decision has multiplied our joy immeasurably since then! Realizing that all these blessing come from a Father In Heaven that is aware of us, what we need, what we desire is a blessing I can never take for granted, a gift I can never forget.

So I kind of feel that Laura's birthday, is more than a traditional birthday for me. It is a time for me to remember, and reflect and praise God for His help during that time I was carrying her. It is my time to remember the wonderful new people I had met that were Latter-day Saints and so compassionate and loving. They were the epitome of Christ's love in our life serving and teaching through their examples. When I think of Laura, the circumstances of her birth, the life she lives, the love she has given ~ I am overwhelmed and happy and grateful and there is sunshine in my soul today.

Laura has been the kind of daughter that has always been inspiring. She was born with a mature and compassionate spirit. She has always been able to read my thoughts... as a little girl she would give comfort to her frazzled Mommy on rough days, with a little handwritten love note tucked under my pillow. We laugh and cry together, we have fun and we are the best of friends. She is the epitome of a great daughter, wife, mother, sister and friend. What she does she does well and she is constantly learning and searching for better ways of getting the job done. She is very kind and generous with others and gives much of her time in service at church, the boys' school, the military groups and she is just deep down good. What parent could ask for anything more? We are privileged to be her parents.

Now some of you may be saying or thinking this woman is totally bragging about her kid here. You have probably even heard the saying.."To a mother every beetle is a gazelle." I believe that God children merely come through us and Laura was this beautiful person from the foundations of the earth. We just thank our lucky stars we didn't mess her up along the way. But we don't take credit for whom she has become. It has been her obedience to the Lord, her desire to make good choices and to be a good and kind person that has influenced who she is today. She works so hard and accomplish so much good. We feel it a great blessing to have her and to love her as we do.

You have brought a rainbow of beautiful color
into this world and blessed us all.
Wish we could give you what you really want
Your Sweetheart by your side today.

So Happy Birthday, Baby! Daddy and I love you with all of our hearts and souls and of course we will be thinking of you today, as we always do..but just rejoicing more in God's grace on your special day (and ours) for allowing us to have such a precious girl to call our own daughter.

XOXO times 34 plus one to grow on!