Happy 2nd Birthday

Dear Madeline and Savannah,

Today you turn 2.  Today I officially have two toddlers whom I absolutely now will not refer  your ages to in terms of months. Today, you are my two year old twins.  You are growing up on me so very fast, yet I feel no sadness or heartache for time to slow down.  Instead, I thank God for your health and for the gift of giving you two to me for the past two years!  With each new day I am truly awed at the blessing I have received of being your mother.  What an honor, what a blessing.  I think often about your birth - being born early and sent off to the NICU for your first 6 days of life.  THOSE were the longest 6 days of my life.  Those are the days that lasted forever.  Why would I ever want these days I have with you now to feel like that?  I don't! I treasure the blessing of time flying by - it only does that when you are having a great time, and filling each day with more joy than you could ever imagine!  I don't want time to slow.  I don't want time to stop!  I want to treasure each moment and savor in its flying by! I thank God for the blessed life He has given you two girls, and I thank Him for the privilege of seeing my two tiny angels become 2 years old, and pray that time will fly by with joy and happiness.

Madeline, you are my thumb sucker.  Savannah, you are my paci taker.  This is how I often refer to you two!  You both take such comfort from your favorite pink bunnies.  Somehow, SOMEHOW, you know the difference between the two and can't go to sleep without YOUR bunny.  I guess this is a funny way at getting back at anyone who wonders how we can tell the difference between the two of you!  I know your faces...I know your voices....I know your laughs....I know your personalities.  You are my heart and soul, day in and day out.  Oh, I know the difference. Somehow you know something about those two bunnies that we don't!

You girls L O V E to pray.  You love to pray!  You get down on your knees, fold your hands, close your eyes, and pray.  You're both even beginning to say "Dear Jesus"...it sounds more like "De Je sas" but we hear it!  Where ever we are, whomever we're with, you have to call everyone into the room, point at them to get down on their knees, and all pray together with you.  Madeline, you squint those little eyes, scrunch up that nose with your head tilted upwards, and pray.  Savannah, you fold those sweet hands, sometimes close your eyes, but more often look around to make sure everyone else is closing their eyes!  You girls.  At the young age of 2, you are already a shining example of faith - faith in a heavenly Father who is looking down with pure love on you.  You are an example of what we should all be - a people who gets on our knees and thanks our God each day for His blessings and His gifts.  That's what you do, before every meal, before bedtime.  How preciously wondrous HE has made you, and how preciously amazing that you already know to thank Him for that.

You're wearing 18 month clothes, still in diapers (although very very close to potty training), not sure yet of your official weight, have already had your first haircut, are putting words together and understanding colors and people's names and many other amazing smart things. My goodness do I love you two.  I hope you feel that every day.  Happy Birthday my angels.  Thank you for making your birthday one of the happiest days of my life.

Love,
Mommy