Alydia Paige
See that girl in the middle there, the all grown up one...
She really is all grown up. Today is her twenty first birthday.
That beautiful young lady, is my niece. She was the first of the three "little" folk who call be "Aunt Linda" because it's true. I have other, "nieces and nephews" that I cherish with my whole heart, but these three have captured it completely. And Alydia was the first.
She wasn't born to us. I never got to rock her in my arms, bounce her on my shoulder or sing her to sleep. I never changed her diapers or tried to tame her unruly toddler hair. There is much of her life that was lived before she became our Alydia.
She was almost grown up, but still somewhat a little girl when she came to our family and over the years I have watched her, from a regrettable distance, grow into an amazing young woman. Not every moment has been smooth, but that is just life.
So the rest of this post is to my dear Alydia on her 21st birthday.
Dear Alydia,
21 years ago today when you were born, we didn't know, but I want to believe there was a little hole made in our family that day that could only be filled by you. I am grateful for everyday our family has had with you. I cannot imagine this family without you. There is a role that the Lord specifically designed you to play in our lives and no one could ever take your place.
I know that in your life, you have been through things that I may never know about. I know that you have experienced hurt and pain that I may never fully understand. But I also know that you are beautiful and you are strong. I love your sense of humor and when you roll your eyes at mine. I love that NO ONE will ever be able to call me "Aunt Linda" with quite the twang that you do. I love your wild crazy hair and your beautiful eyes. I adore watching you snuggle and play with Daniel and Gracie and seeing the excitement they have when they get to see their "Paige." I think you are absolutely amazing.
I am so proud of you. I am proud of the way you tell things like they are. I am proud of how hard you are working in school with no one breathing down your neck and making you. You have grown up into an incredible young woman that I am proud to say, no matter how much you argue will always be our little girl.
I am grateful that when you were chosen to be a part of our family, you chose us back, We can be a straight up band of weirdos sometimes but you join right in. I love the picture that adoption is just like a families choose each other through adoption, we are chosen by God. The rest of the story however, is that we have to choose Him back.
I pray that everyday, you will choose Christ. More than anything else I want you to know, its that nothing matters on this earth more than knowing Jesus Christ. I hope that in our own flawed way, being in our family has shown you that we believe thats true. I hope that you not only believe it as well but that you take hold of it with every fiber of your being and do not let go. I hope that you run with perseverance the race marked our for you and that you keep you eyes and heart fixed on Jesus and allow Him to be the Author and Perfecter of your faith.
I hope you move mountains little girl. I know you have it in you!
I am so proud of you...
Happy 21st Birthday...
I love you to the moon and back and all the way around the world....
Aunt Linda
She really is all grown up. Today is her twenty first birthday.
That beautiful young lady, is my niece. She was the first of the three "little" folk who call be "Aunt Linda" because it's true. I have other, "nieces and nephews" that I cherish with my whole heart, but these three have captured it completely. And Alydia was the first.
She wasn't born to us. I never got to rock her in my arms, bounce her on my shoulder or sing her to sleep. I never changed her diapers or tried to tame her unruly toddler hair. There is much of her life that was lived before she became our Alydia.
She was almost grown up, but still somewhat a little girl when she came to our family and over the years I have watched her, from a regrettable distance, grow into an amazing young woman. Not every moment has been smooth, but that is just life.
So the rest of this post is to my dear Alydia on her 21st birthday.
Dear Alydia,
21 years ago today when you were born, we didn't know, but I want to believe there was a little hole made in our family that day that could only be filled by you. I am grateful for everyday our family has had with you. I cannot imagine this family without you. There is a role that the Lord specifically designed you to play in our lives and no one could ever take your place.
I know that in your life, you have been through things that I may never know about. I know that you have experienced hurt and pain that I may never fully understand. But I also know that you are beautiful and you are strong. I love your sense of humor and when you roll your eyes at mine. I love that NO ONE will ever be able to call me "Aunt Linda" with quite the twang that you do. I love your wild crazy hair and your beautiful eyes. I adore watching you snuggle and play with Daniel and Gracie and seeing the excitement they have when they get to see their "Paige." I think you are absolutely amazing.
I am so proud of you. I am proud of the way you tell things like they are. I am proud of how hard you are working in school with no one breathing down your neck and making you. You have grown up into an incredible young woman that I am proud to say, no matter how much you argue will always be our little girl.
I am grateful that when you were chosen to be a part of our family, you chose us back, We can be a straight up band of weirdos sometimes but you join right in. I love the picture that adoption is just like a families choose each other through adoption, we are chosen by God. The rest of the story however, is that we have to choose Him back.
I pray that everyday, you will choose Christ. More than anything else I want you to know, its that nothing matters on this earth more than knowing Jesus Christ. I hope that in our own flawed way, being in our family has shown you that we believe thats true. I hope that you not only believe it as well but that you take hold of it with every fiber of your being and do not let go. I hope that you run with perseverance the race marked our for you and that you keep you eyes and heart fixed on Jesus and allow Him to be the Author and Perfecter of your faith.
I hope you move mountains little girl. I know you have it in you!
I am so proud of you...
Happy 21st Birthday...
I love you to the moon and back and all the way around the world....
Aunt Linda
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