Dear Sweet Adelle,

As we celebrate your first birthday I am sitting here in awe of how fast this first year of your life has flown by. You came into the world like thunder and rolled into our lives with such vigor. My heart exploded with love the moment I laid eyes on you and ever since that moment you have taken up a permanent residence in my heart and soul.

I'm writing this letter to you so that one day I may be able to share it with you and share my heart at this moment in your life. To remind you of some of your beautiful, amazing qualities that I'm sure you will forget as life tumbles over you as it seems to do to all of us at one point or another.

You are strong and beautiful and bring the absolute most joy to every room you are in. Your smile is infectious and your laughter is medicine to my soul. I have loved watching you grow and learn and play and sometimes just sleep. It has been one of the greatest joys of my life having the honor of being your (and your brothers') mom.

Life will be hard little one. There will be many good days filled with fun and laughter. But more often than I would like there will be hard days too. Days when the enemy will attack you at every corner and the rain will seem to be never ending. Days when you will feel alone and days when you will feel unworthy or inadequate. If there is nothing else I teach you, please remember that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. God, the creator of the Universe, created you intimately, intricately and with purpose. He has given you so many gifts, one of which is your beautiful smile, to be able to use to make the world around you a bit brighter.

I know you may not see it all the time, but you are beautiful and you are enough just the way you are. A wise woman once told me that sometimes God stops the rain, but other times he simply hands you an umbrella. God doesn't always calm the storms in our lives, but He ALWAYS will be with us through them, protecting us and giving us the tools we need to face them. His purposes are not always known in the moment, but I promise if you let Him He will always make you stronger than you ever thought possible and bring you closer to Him through the process.

I love you so much my darling. More than you could ever imagine. One of my biggest prayers for you as you grow is that you become an amazing woman who loves God and shares that love with the world around you. I can't wait to watch you grow and see who you become.

I love you to the moon and back,
Mom