Happy Everything, Evangeline!

It was a big week for my baby girl!  On Friday we had the privilege of finalizing her adoption, meaning the state now recognizes what we already knew to be true...she is a part of this family.  It was a truly pleasant experience and the judge was so kind to our family.

waiting to enter the judge's chambers

hanging out

chatting while she waits

We celebrated the finalization with a family brunch.  On Friday afternoon we took Evangeline to Chickfila, this visit being the first she was allowed to partake.  We have a family policy that you are allowed to eat Chickfila once you are one.  I don't really know what spurred that mandate, but it was a rite of passage on Josiah's first birthday and we decided to do the same thing with her.  Her first birthday fell on a Sunday, which meant she got to sneak it in a few days early.  True to family form...she loved it.


Today my sweet daughter, my joy, my prize...turned one.  I don't know how this happened!  I know I had an expedited "baby" year, but it still doesn't seem possible that I will now have to report her age in years instead of months.  She isn't walking yet, which makes it all the easier for me to be in denial that she is very quickly moving from infant to toddler.


We thought it timely to have her dedicated to the church on her birthday.  Our pastor encouraged us to write our own commitments to her.  Lately I have been contemplating the large responsibility of rearing a child (and getting it right), so sealing a covenant over her felt weighty.  It transferred our goals and desires as parents into an actual commitment we are now accountable for.  That's a good thing.  I am grateful to feel the heaviness of the task of parenting, as it originates in my realization that I am a broken person that still needs Jesus to give us the wisdom we need to lead our children.  Here were the commitments we made to our beloved daughter today:


Jonathan:  Evangeline, you are my daughter.  The Lord named you correctly "Evangeline Lucille," meaning the bringer of Good News and Light.  You are a tangible reminder of the Gospel that I have the magical privilege of holding, kissing, loving, and caring for every day.  Because Christ has loved me without condition and deeper than I will understand in this life, I will also love you...consistently, without fail.  I will never let go, and as long as I live will love you as gracefully as Christ loves me.  I will also usher in the fatherhood of God, Our Almighty Father, as I love you, encourage you to pursue Him, and support you as you chase your dreams and live out the call of Christ in your life.  I will pray with you and for you, every day, as we call on the power of the Holy Spirit to reside in your heart and open your eyes to the hope, miracles, and story He is telling around us.  I will also pray for protection over the purity of your heart, that the man of God who is to one day lead you will be waiting for you as Christ raises him up.  I will always work diligently and sacrifice often to ensure that your needs are met and that your heart is full as I affirm your beauty and worth.  I will read to you, teach you, and beg God to give you a love for His word.  As a family we will write it on our hearts and cling to its promises in our action, reaction, and rest.  And finally, I will pursue Christ and love Him with all of my heart, mind, strength, and soul and we will love our neighbors without condition so that you will experience and understand the height, depth, length, and width of God's everlasting love.  I love you.


I love that man.  I'm so privileged to share parenthood with him.  We didn't share our statements beforehand, and I felt more than a little inferior after reading his eloquent prose.  Anyway, everything he said...plus this:


Me: Evangeline, You are my treasure.  My sweet daughter, the greatest gift I can give you is a heart full of the love of Christ.  Therefore, today in front of this body of believers, I commit my ways to leading you into the Kingdom of God.  I commit to to usher the presence of God into our home and your life, so the realities and riches of Christ are evident to you.  I promise to cling to the Holy Spirit so as to teach you the power of God that dwells within us.  I commit to encouraging you in the gifts God has given you, that you might readily glorify Him with them.  I also vow to help you identify your sinful nature, that you might lean heavily on the righteousness of Christ alone.   I will pray for you and seek wisdom from God's Word on how to lead you into the person He has designed you to be.  I promise to teach you Scripture so that you might write God's word on your heart.   Finally, I vow to continue to be refined into the likeness of Christ, so that through me you may learn how to love your husband and your children, to be self-controlled and kind, and how to fulfill your role as a godly woman and bondservant of Christ.  


After church we had a small party to celebrate her birthday.  She enjoyed every minute of it.  I was surprised that she didn't cave under the attention and lack of nap.  She spent a large majority of her time sitting at the table and eating, because that is what she loves best.  true story.  She enjoyed Chickfila nuggets, fruit salad, and some animal crackers.  She was slightly timid when we put the cake in her care, but Josiah promptly scooped some icing onto his finger and put it to her mouth to convince her it was worth touching.  She never managed to smash her cake, but she did enjoy eating the icing.

the birthday girl

the cake

brother with a little assistance

not too shabby.

returning the favor

chasing brother!

party horn!

she's just acting like she is excited about walking. 

we are getting a little better at the family photo. 

my heart.

beauty.

truly captivating.

My sweet Evangeline, it is such a privilege to be your mother.  You are everything I was hoping for.  I now know that the wait was agonizing because my heart knew you were mine long before this world did.  The Lord knew you and named your name, and we see how you are exactly what He said you would be: a bringer of Good News and light.  We are so honored that we would be bestowed with a treasure as beautiful and precious as you.  You will probably never fully grasp the depth of joy we have in sharing every day with you.  We pray that as you continue to grow you would find security and confidence in both our affections and our arms.  We love you without measure.