Happy 5th Birthday CHLOE............

My beautiful "Gift from God" turned 5 yesterday on Valentine's Day. I can't hardly believe that she has been home almost 4 years now. Sometimes I wish I could turn back the time and she would be a toddler again.
Her birthday was very special, not only was it Valentine's Day but her daddy also became her Pastor yesterday. Daniel was voted in as our full time Pastor at Glendale Baptist Church. Her Sunday School teachers had her a little party with cake squares and gifts and then we went out to eat with some of our family where she also had a birthday cake. Presents opened later at home and then after church last night we went out with a bunch of our church family to her favorite Mexican Restuarant and she got her birthday dessert and a special "Happy Birthday" song by the waitstaff. In the pictures she is wearing the beautiful poppydip dress that my friend April sent her from GA. Birthday celebrations continue today with Brent taking her on a lunch date and tonight we are taking all 3 of them to Kanpai of Tokyo for a birthday dinner. Kaitlyn will be 14 on Wed., Zane will be 3 on Monday, needless to say 3 birthdays in the same week is not good for my diet at all. If I am not careful I am going to be gained my 35 lbs back just this week eating cake squares and birthday cake! Oh well at least we are getting them all over with at once, right.
When I put Chloe to bed last night I teared up remembering the exact moment she came into our lives. It was Feb. 18th and I was so very sad because we had lost our 1st referral just a few weeks before, Missy called and said, "I am sending you some pictures of a beautiful baby girl that was born on Valentines Day", look at them and call me back. I called Daniel and told him to get to school ASAP, and I will never forget opening that email to all those pictures. She was the fattest most beautiful baby in the world. And she was ours, how did I know?
She was wrapped in the blanket that we had did her nursery in. Not just butterflies but the exact blanket that was in her nursery. What are the chances of that in Guatemala? I took out all those pictues again yesterday and cried seeing those of her birthmother holding her and I was so very thankful. Thankful to Peggy, Missy, and Jen for uniting our family, Mammy, Poppy, and Nancy for raising her as their very own for the first 14 mos. of her life, forever thankful to our birthmother Alysia for changing our lives forever. Because of her sacrificial love I am the mommy that gets to tuck her in at night. Most importantly, I thank my Heavenly Father for His many blessing one of which is "CHLOE".