We have been so so blessed through this adoption to watch our beautiful Ainsley grow up in pictures. This is so different than with Andrew {AG doesn't really count..we saw her and a month later held her} We saw a referral picture of Andrew that was taken in January in May, we saw NOTHING else until the day we finally met him in that crowded Beijing Hotel hall the next January. Oh, how crazy the difference in a year made. He didn't look like the same child.
With Ainsley, We saw referral pictures that were taken in March...we said Yes in June and got updates that same week. {Some updates I will NOT be sharing on the blog..for our privacy and for one day Ainsley's}
Referral picture. I am not going to share the June updates...once we are home, maybe.
OH how different our baby looked. We received pictures taken in April of our sweet girl in June as well. Then in July we received precious pictures of her in a shirt that we sent her...and then TWICE already in August pictures. It is so crazy to see how Ainsley has changed over a few short months.
It just makes me want to hold her that much more.
First August Update
August update #2 Seriously...her smile? to die for. You know it is...:) most beautiful baby alive..for sure. in lalalaloveeeee!
September Update #1
how stinking cute is that tongue?! Oh, I LOVE her so.
September Update #2 BIRTHDAY...that crown looks so very perfect on her sweet head. She is already a princess :)
as you can see...Sweet baby is growing up... and this sister is not liking it...not one bit.
Ainsley is two. oh goodness...Please stop growing sweet baby, please.
Day 40 of wait for LOA. Praying it comes this week!
so, Ashton again. Thank you all for the lovely birthday wishes! they were so sweet! along with my Mom's post :)
i had an absolutely fabulous sixteenth birthday. full of friends, fun and lots of other things. it was so great. I will post pictures from my party next time.
Yesterday as you all know was also Miss Ainsley's SECOND birthday! yep, we share our special day! Our hearts were very sad she was not here with us to celebrate but we cannot wait for next year!!
We were thrilled this morning to wake up to these pictures of our precious girl on her birthday! How special. She looks beautiful and is holding our photo album! She looks so tiny! {isn't that cake darling...and HUGE?!}
Happy Birthday, Ainsley. I love you so much already my sweet girl and cannot wait to celebrate with you next year! So honored to share our special day. Soon sweet love, soon you will be forever in our arms. We cannot wait to celebrate with you next year. Can't wait to finally hold you. xoxo, Sissy
16 years ago today, God changed my entire life when He allowed me to become a Mommy to the most precious little girl ever born. I am still in shock that the beautiful baby girl I brought home from the hospital 16 years ago is growing up before my eyes. I love this girl so very much. She made me a Mommy. My dream when I was a little girl was to be a Mommy and my precious Ashton made this dream come true.
I truly cannot believe that she is sixteen years old...How does that happen!? How do you blink and right before your eyes your baby grows up.
Before I know it she will be a senior in high school. then to college. then getting married. having babies. and she will be right where I am now.
I wish I could freeze time and keep her this age for forever. To keep her in the baby stages of life. Never let her grow up and leave me. I love her too much.
Ashton is so caring and loving. She loves Jesus, her siblings and her family. She prayed for years that we would bring another child home...and then another. She is the reason we have Andrew and Ainsley.
She shares her special day with her sweet sister, Ainsley. How full circle and amazing is God? He gave me my first baby on September 20 and he is giving me my last (I probably shouldn't say that) baby on September 20.
Ashton,
I love you more than you will ever know and I am so proud of the young woman you are growing up to be. I know you will do great things with your life. If God takes you all the way to Uganda or if he just keeps you here. He has huge plans for you, my love. I simply cannot wait to see it unfold before my eyes. I will never be able to truly tell you how much I love you.
Happy 16th Birthday Ashton.
I love you forever,
Mom
Will you all do me a favor and wish my girl a happy birthday? :)
Today, most everyone in America is remembering the tragedy of 9-11-01. It is a day forever etched in our hearts and minds. It is a sad day. filled with so much pain, sorrow and just pure torment. Thousands of innocent people lost their lives on this day in 2001.
and Here we stand 10 years later.
September 11 will always be a day that everyone in America remembers. For most it is NOT a happy day. For us, it is.
On September 11, 2006 most Americans spent the 5 year anniversary of 9-11 watching the local news, crying, praying...
But all the way across the world on September 11, 2006 a precious baby girl was born in Chongqing China. She was beautiful, healthy, had gorgeous little almond shaped eyes and had a thick head of black hair.
On September 11, 2006 many mourned, including the birth mother of our precious girl. I cannot imagine what she went through giving her sweet baby up. How can any mother take that lightly? They don't. She didn't have a choice. She did what she knew was best for her baby, our baby. To her I will always be grateful, because of the decision of Anna Grace's birth mom we are now the ones holding her when she cries, playing dress up with her, watching her write her name, and seeing how amazing God really is through the eyes of this child. I pray that today her Birth Mom will know and feel that her/our baby is safe, loved, adored, cared for, learning all about the LOVE of Jesus, has siblings that will do anything and everything for her and what a miracle this precious child is to our family. I pray that her birth mother knows how amazing this child is...How smart she is, how beautiful on the inside and out, how wonderfully she has accepted her new brother, her smile, her precious personality, her spunk, her strong will, her love of everything pink, purple, or Princess, her daily blessings to us by just being, the way she rules our house with such grace, how she can say anything and it makes you smile, how she teaches me to be more like Jesuseveryday, and overall that this child is loved by everyone that crosses her path.
On September 11, 2006 a little girl entered the World. But September 11, 2006 was just the beginning to this precious little girl's life....As I kissed my 4 year old sister for the last time last night and tucked her into her new big girl bed I thought about how blessed I am that out of all of the people in the world HE chose ME, me! 15 year old Ashton to be the big sister to this Precious Girl {and two other beautiful adopted children}. To be the one that gets to watch her grow up, kiss her every night, Greet her with Hugs and Kisses, Teach her songs, Help her learn about the Love of Jesus, Sing to her, Hold her when she cries, Play tea-party with her, Dress her up, take pictures, Make her a Princess, Look at her beautiful face, teach her all kinds of songs {ahem} and enjoy her sweet little life.
I will be forever thankful to the ONE who went before us and chose Anna Grace to be a part of our family. God had a plan for this little girl's life when she was in the womb HE CHOSE her...He CHOSE ME, HE CHOSE OUR family
and for that, I will be forever grateful.
One Year Old. LOOK at that BABY.
Two Years Old That smile. oh goodness.
Three Years Old she's gorgeous. so gorgeous.
Four Years Old. My BABY...is growing up. Going to cry now.
{finally}FIVE Years Old Please, Please tell me it isn't so.
Happy 5th Birthday, Anna Grace.
I love you more than words can describe, the stars in the sky, and to the moon in back {150 times}
xoxo forever,
Sissy
But even before I was born, God CHOSE ME and called me by his marvelous GRACE. -Galations 1:15
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