Happy 3rd Birthday, my dear Hannah!

It's been 3 years since the day you entered my life, and I have loved every moment of getting to know you, this beautiful person whom God created with such a rich, funny and caring personality. It amazes me to know all of YOU is bundled up in the little body of a 3 year old because you have a great big personality.

You constantly make us laugh, like the other day when Daddy had shaved his legs for his race and you said so sweetly as you caressed his soft skin, "Daddy, you are so beautiful." :) And then, when we took you to the zoo the day Chloe started preschool and all you wanted to see were the "Mangos" and the Tyrannosaurus Rex. And how you ask us over and over and over if we know what happened to Daniel and the Lions' Stand. Once recently, you saw me banging the ground with a garden tool trying to uproot a weed and you asked, "Mama? You spankin' dem ants?" You are so so so funny and you are so ready to laugh almost all of the time.

You are also very smart. You pick up on everything... when you choose to listen. A lot of times, you tune the world out and it's difficult not to get mad at you. I know you are not intentionally ignoring me but really absorbed into what you are doing in the moment. I wish I could see all the thoughts racing in your head in those moments. You've learned all of your ABC's but still get some of their sounds confused. And you know how to count to 18. You try so hard to know what Chloe knows, and when you don't, you are a good student for your big sister who teaches you with such patience. Not only does she teach you numbers and letters, but she teaches you how to do things and also about God and how He takes care of you. You remind us, but yourself even more, that He is always us and is watching over us. You do this especially when you are going somewhere where I will have to leave you, such as Sunday School or Gym class.

You are a little bit of a daredevil. You had staples in the back of your head this past year after you fell off the couch and hit your head on the coffee table. Though it happened 3 months ago, you still talk about it quite often. I think you loved that Daddy took you to the doctor then because you always mention it as if it were a special date. :) You still jump on the couch though... You also got on your bike and headed down the steep hill next to our house. You don't yet know how to use your breaks, and if the Lord had not brought a special person (who does not even live here!) to catch you at the bottom of the hill, we would probably still be dealing with the repercussions of that incident. The Lord proved to me that day that He has His hand on you and sees you.

Hannah, your sensitivity and caring spirit amaze me constantly. You exhibit such gentleness sometimes. You care for bugs so tenderly. Once I caught you closely watching an ant crawl up your arm. This is so drastically different than your sister. You just wanted to watch him and see him up close. You love animals just as much, but you are a little more timid around them because they are bigger. You are also so sweet and caring towards someone who is hurting or who is sick. You don't forget to check on them and ask how they are feeling without being prompted. You are very good at caring about others and not only having eyes for your own little world.

You and Chloe are so sweet together. I think you two are as close as you could be without being twins. Your daddy and I wanted for y'all to have this relationship and we foster it and encourage it because we know it will be so important through out life. Y'all have so much fun together and love each other well. You allow Chloe to have her way many times but you do it in a way as to not let her run all over you. So many of your qualities just amaze me because they seem far beyond your years.

I pray for you constantly, sweet Hannah, that the Lord would use these qualities to bring glory to Himself and that you would love Him so intimately. May the next year of growth and maturity be exciting for you as you spend less time with Chloe and find more of yourself. I am excited to continue to get to know you. I love you, little one!