Hi Friends,
I found a website through a friend called blog2print, and I'm going to print Evie's blog into a book for a keepsake for her (and us!). It prints "comments" along with my posts... so I thought I'd take this opportunity to let you all leave a note for her before we print this first book, her first YEAR! I am going to wait at least a week before I print, so if you would like, do so before Friday October 8th!
All you have to do is click on "Leave a Comment" below (:
Love you friends! You are great!
I don't know you but I have found your blog through another blog. Your daughter, Evie, is just precious and I love reading about her life and what an amazing little person she is. She has inspired me and I'm sure touched so many more lives than she will ever know. I wish you, your family, and especially little Evie all the best.
ReplyDeleteEvie, you are a miracle; a treasure, a true beauty, created in the image of God, and we are richer for having known you, your beautiful mama, and that crazy sister of yours! We like your dad, too:) We love you, Evie!
ReplyDeleteThe Stewarts
P.S. Will you marry Judah someday? We'll forego the dowry thing, since you're so cute 'n all!
Hello precious little Evie, I remember the day your Daddy told me you were on your way to make your debut in this big world. You have a very special family who love you so much. You are an inspiration to everyone who meets you. Your beautifull sister Lyla loves you so much to! I have not met your mommy but I know she is an amazing person! One day I will meet you, until then keep making everyone smile!
ReplyDeleteWhat a miracle you are Evie Jayne. You have been so loved and prayed for since your mom and dad first knew you were on your way into this world. Through your story, so many people have learned about what wonderful parents you have and their love for Jesus. Your mommy and daddy were chosen by God to be your loving and faithful parents. Happy 1st Birthday beautiful Evie Jayne.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Dirk and Stephanie Block
Evie, I haven't met you yet, but I hope to meet you soon! Have a very happy 1st birthday!
ReplyDeleteWith love,
Elizabeth Seim
Evie,
ReplyDeleteYou have been a fighter since day one! You are so brave and so strong! Even when you are having rough days, you still smile. You are a wonderful reminder of how precious "LIFE" is. I love spending time with you and your amazing Mommy!!!
Love,
Amy
Evie, We are so glad to have been part of this journey from the beginning. I remember watching Lyla at the very beginning of your mom's pregnancy when something just didn't feel right. And we just prayed and prayed for you those several months when you were in your mommy's tummy. Even still, every night and before every meal, Ryland's standard prayer is "Dear God, please help Evie get better and thank you for our day (food)". His (and all of our prayers) just keep getting answered. Thank you for helping us see God's hand at work in all of our lives. We love you!
ReplyDeleteKen, Michelle, Ryland, and Korina Crowder
Evie! Friend!
ReplyDeleteI have loved you and prayed for you for so long! It has been such a blessing to walk alongside your Mama, Daddy, Lyla and you while your Mama and God carried you....and now you're 1!
God is so good Evie Jayne!
I am so excited to see what God has in store for you and your family!
Thank you for letting Ben, Nate and Josie come and play!
We love you Friend :)
Patti Cummings
It's been a privilege to know you and your family, Evie. You may not know the many people who have prayed for you and because of you, but God does. May His blessings continue to pour over you and your family.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Mark, Valerie, Gracie, Emma and AJ LaCrosse
Dear Sweet Evie,
ReplyDeleteLet me start off saying that you and your family are such an inspiration!!! To fight through what you have this far and to still see that sweet smile on your face reminds me of how blessed that we all truly are and that God is indeed good!!!
You don't know me but a friend recently told me about your blog so I decided to check it out. I was so moved by your mother's strength, courage and faith. I spent that first day reading back through all of her blog posts (in tears) and thanking God over and over for the blessings in my life. My daughter is 7 months old and when I was reading through the blog posts I felt my heart breaking as I tried to imagine what it would be like to go through what you and your family have. You have one AMAZING mommy!
Happy, happy, happy Birthday sweet angel!!! Thank you for being a reminder of how amazing God is! You and your family are in my daughter and my prayers ever night ;).
Little Miss Evie- You are such a beautiful and precious little angel. Your journey and amazing story is so inspiring. I do not know your family personally but have become to know your family through this wonderful blog your mom has shared with all of us. What a little miracle you are and you have touched so many lives with your amazing feats you have overcome. Your life has reminded me to always count my blessings. You and your family are truly wonderful. God Bless!
ReplyDeleteDear Evie,
ReplyDeleteFrom inside your mother's womb, you touched the world. Thanks to your mom, we have had the priveledge to be encouraged and changed by your story, precious Evie. You are so blessed to have such strong and faithful parents. From day one, they have been on their knees, seeking God's will and sharing their testimony with the world. Before you were born, the world has been praying for you Evie. Only God knew how much you would touch the world, and perhaps this was his plan. What a wonderful plan! Thank you Evie, for being such an inspiration in my life.
With love and admiration,
Andrea Cole
Evie Jayne~ You are a true gift from God and we love you so very much. You have the best Mommy and Daddy and Big sister in the whole world who love you more than anything. We have been so blessed to watch grow and you little Evie have changed our world. We love you! XOXO Mike and Lindsey Johnson
ReplyDeleteEvie,
ReplyDeleteI was with your mother, father and Lyla the day God brought you to them. As a labor nurse I have witnessed many miracles however you are truely a unique one. God has blessed you and your family. You have such loving parents and a big sister who love you. May God watch over you now and always. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your path here on earth. I will always remember you Evie Jayne.
Sincerely,
Melissa Woods RN-C
Methodist Women's hospital
Darling Evie,
ReplyDeleteWhat a tremendous joy it is to know and to love you! I have loved you since the day your mom shared the incredible news of you with me; I still remember that day. :) Your light shines bright, and your impact goes deep. In just a year, you have changed many lives! You have a special gift to share with the world, and I am so thankful to be a part of your journey.
All my love,
Aunt K
Dear Sweet Evie,
ReplyDeleteYou are an absolute miracle! You have an amazing mommy and daddy who love you more than anything, they love you so much that everyone around them can see it, almost feel it! You are so lucky!
I feel blessed to just know you, your fighting spirit and smiling face inspire me to love my babies and be positive. Your mommy inspires me to love my babies more and have faith, she has lots!
I had read your mommy's blog but didn't meet her until just a few weeks before you were born. I had just had my 2nd baby girl too so I felt a connection with another mommy about to have her 2nd girl. I have read your story and rejoiced and cried (good tears) and been reminded to hold my girls close. You and Maddy are the same age and I look forward to you girls being in the same class at church! :)
LOVE & BLESSINGS TO EVIE JAYNE!!
Darling Evie,
ReplyDeleteYou have had more of an impact in your one short year on Earth than many people have in an entire lifetime.
Through your mommy's blog, people you have never even met have have become so in awe of you that they have wept for you, prayed for you, rejoiced with you, cheered for you, and thanked God for you.
We are so lucky to be able to share in this journey with you. The world is a better place, Evie Jayne, because you are in it.
Ing, Laura, David, & Eloise
Hey Evie Jayne,
ReplyDeletePapa Bob and I love seeing your smiling face whenever we look at our computer. You are the love of our life. I can't believe you have been here a year, but I couldn't imagine life without you. What a joy you have been through out all of the struggles you have had. God has blessed us with you. Thank you for sharing your journey with us. We love you a ton beautiful Evie Jayne. Papa Bob and Grandma Dellie
Dear Evie,
ReplyDeleteWe have been so blessed to be a part of your journey through your blog that your mom keeps so well. We are grateful for the opportunity to pray for you and we will continue to do so. We hope God blesses you throughout your life. You are a beautiful miracle and you have made our faith stronger through watching God's work in your life.
Blessings to you sweet girl,
The Kirscher Family
Evier Jayne Jayne,
ReplyDeleteYou have a Very Special place in my Heart! At times it is overwhelmed with joy and other times it aches for all you have had to go through.
I love pulling you pacifier out of your mouth and seeing that sweet smile and how your eyes light up. It warms my heart when you reach up and pull my glasses off like you teasing me.
Nothing will ever change my faith as much as you and your Mom have over the past year and a half. I have never seen a mom get behind her baby in prayer and faith, knowing God will answer like your mom has. The strength God has given her for you Evie is beyond anything I could ever imagine. She has physically suck the snot out of your nose and breathe air back into your lungs to keep you alive until an ambulance could get there.
God has given her a strength of faith that I have a hard time putting in words. In the hardest of times like when you were in the hospital, she would just sleep in your crib with her body curled around yours. Her will for you to get through was unshakeable, she never doubts Gods plan just loved you through it.
We have all been so blessed to share your first year! (especially your Nana!)
Love you a Ton Sweet Evier Jayne Jayne, Nana
Dear Evie,
ReplyDeleteI have had the greatest honor of meeting your Mom, Grandma, Aunt, and Sister before you were born. You were there, you just weren't born yet. I started praying for you the second I met your Mom. Your life is an incredible story that I have shared with so many people.
Evie, you are a true inspiration. You have changed my life. Your smile lights up the world. God has blessed you with awesome parents and a sister that loves you so much.
Thank you Evie for letting me be a part of this wonderful journey. You inspire me to listen to God, to trust in the Lord, and to tell others how through you he shows his love.
Jackie Walz
Evie:
ReplyDeletecvg,,,, n vvvvvvo.//////
Love,
Lydia
Evie:
ReplyDeleteNow that Lydia got a chance to write you, I can have the laptop back to tell you how blessed we are to call you our friend. God has used every day of your life (365 days + 40 weeks) to increase the faith of thousands of people including me. We are so blessed to actually know you, to see your smile light up the room, to let Lydia pull on your oxygen. God uses you to give hope, faith, perspective and joy to everyone that knows about you. We tell Lydia's doctors and therapists that "we know Evie" and they just smile. We know you're their favorite. :) You have changed the lives of so many, Evie, including our family and we thank God for your beautiful life, sweet girl.
Love,
Amy (for Tim and Lydia too)
Evie Jayne,
ReplyDeleteAs I sit and think about what I would like to leave in your note, I can't believe you have been with us for a year, and yet thinking back your mom's first ultrasound seems like it was an eternity ago. I won’t ever forget the look in your mom’s eyes when we got to her house the evening of the first ultrasound, we all knew from that night forward that none of our lives would ever be the same, but we had no idea what God had in store for you and all of those whose lives you would touch and whose prospective you would change.
We all grew to know you, and to love you during your mom’s pregnancy and as I think back to a year ago, the night that we were all in the hospital before you were born, we were all prepared for that relationship to be put on hold until we would meet again in eternity, my eyes just fill with tears. When we held hands as a family in the hospital to pray that night, your Papa Steve prayed and pleaded with God to deliver you into this world as he did the three men from the fiery furnace in the Old Testament, unharmed. When he said that prayer, we had no idea that our Lord was about to do just that.
I remember standing in the hallway with my ear up to the door, when you mom was in the delivery room, yearning to know what was going on, my heart breaking with low expectations, when I heard you cry. I whispered to all of our family and your dad’s family in the hallway, “I just heard her cry…she isn’t supposed to be able to cry.” I cannot even put into words the joy that followed in the next few minutes, hours, days and months. Joy like I had never experienced. God’s grace and provision like I had never known.
This past year has been full of the highest highs and the scariest of times. Your mom and dad have been such fighters for you, and God’s provision has been so blatant. You have been so brave. I have learned from you that we are not to live for this world, but for eternity. I have learned from you to take life day by day and to be thankful for each one, that God has a purpose in each of them. I have learned from your mom through this journey the beauty and strength of a mother’s love. As I think back over the past year, your mom has refused to walk though this time unchanged; she is so inspiring to me. God has used your life to touch so many others. I have never seen anything like it.
One of my most fun memories of the past year has been watching you interact with Henry. It was so much fun to get to see your personality come out when we laid you both in the Pack & Play at Nana’s pool and watched you take Henry’s pacifier out of his mouth and then hit him in the head with it over and over. You love picking on him! When we would come over to check on you both, you would drop it look at us with your big bright eyes like our perfect little angel who could never be up to anything naughty. It brought us all such joy to just watch you be a kid. Your mom would laugh so hard.
It is such a blessing to be your aunt and to have the privilege to anticipate building more fun memories with you. As I think over the past year, Psalms 62 comes to mind verse 1 says “My soul finds rest in God alone.” I think this is the way we are to live, it is the way that you have taught me to live…completely reliant on our creator for all things. I love you Evie Jayne more that I can put into words. You are in my prayers constantly. Your life has changed so many others, especially mine. Love, Aunt Kirst
Hope you had a wonderful 1st Birthday wee sweetheart. I love you like my own daughter even if I have never met you (and probably never will owing to that tiny, but vital, little symbol O2) Keep that smile no matter what - it's helps your parents fight the odds with you. There will always be a welcome for you in Ireland. Leanne & Amy XX
ReplyDeleteDear Evie and Family,
ReplyDeleteSince I found your blog in late 2009, it has been such a honour to pray for you and lift you to God in prayer. You are all such an inspiration. I pray that God will continue to shine his face onto you and give you his peace and direction in your lives.
Love and prayers from New Zealand,
Leticia and family
God makes Himself known to us in so many unexpected ways. You have such a purpose, Evie Jayne. You, your mom, dad, and sister have brought so many people to see God in a new light. His blessings and mercy are limitless. We are so grateful to know the blessing you are, even if only through your mom’s blog. So here’s a huge HUG via cyberspace and hearts full of joy as you grow and get stronger every day.
ReplyDeleteLove from your Texas cousins,
Cyndi & Cary
Dearest Evie
ReplyDeleteSince finding your site thru another NZer's blog whom you are friends with it has been a great honour to follow you thru your first year. What a little miracle you are.
Thanks to Mummy for writing such great journals we feel as tho we know you all, Lyla & Daddy to.
You are part of a great family.
I will never see you personally but even tho miles apart, tks to Mummy's writing feel as tho I do know you.
A very special little girl.
Dear Evie Jayne ... Several years ago I met your beautiful Mommy and handsome Daddy when they asked me to make their wedding cake!! I knew when I met them they were "special" young people, but what I didn't know was that they would bring two beautiful little girls into the world and change people's lives in the process! I have had the pleasure and honor of being able to follow your path this past year,through your mommy's journal. I "go there" every morning, since the day your Nana told me about your birth and I cannot begin to tell you what an inspiration your family has been to me. I have cried, laughed, enjoyed the music, and prayed with others over this past year! Your mommy is such a very talented lady and I love and admire her and your daddy so much. I was ill with a very bad cold at the time of your birthday, so didn't think it was a good idea to expose anyone to that, but I was certainly thinking of you and your beautiful family on that special occasion, as I do every day. (I love your very pretty lavender dress, by the way :)) You are all truly one of God's many blessings and I am thankful to Him for watching over you, Lyla, and your family, during this past year. May you continue to thrive and be a witness to God's power of healing. I will continue to keep you all in my daily prayers and will stay in touch through mommy's journal. With much love .. Donna Hultman
ReplyDeleteEvie & Family:
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for letting me be apart of your journey over the last year! What a wonderful story and a wonderfuly life you will have! I look forward to reading your blog for many more years to come!
God Bless You and Your Family!
Evie,
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful, strong little girl you are. In the first year of your life you have faced such challenging situations. And you have proved that you are a fighter. I have throroughly enjoyed following your journey from before birth through this first year. You are a blessing from God, and I am anxious to watch you grow and develop! I am so thankful to your mommy for creating this blog and sharing your story with all of us. It has been an inspiration to me. I am happy that I've had the opportunity to connect with her and to meet you, and I hope to see you again sometime soon!
Love,
Ashley Hoff
Dear sweet little Evie...
ReplyDeleteI am a friend of your mommy's since college. We met at Alpha Phi the sorority we both joined at the University of Nebraska and have been friends ever since! Lyla and my first son Griffin are 2 weeks apart and I shared those first sweet months of motherhood figuring it out with your mom. She was what I like to call my little angel during those "baby blues"days, encouraging and standing strong, as I am sure you know now is just her natural character!
I remember the day your mom told me she was pregnant with you and I also remember the night we talked on the phone after her first ultra sound with you. As a mom & friend it broke my heart hearing your mom on the phone that night and in the months to follow.I feel most privileged to have been blessed with the chance to watch your story unfold from a very early time. It is such a beautiful story of strong faith, fierce and passionate love and a renewal of hope. I can say for certain that watching you and your family has changed my life. Your parents faith has inspired me to a new level of trust with God, seeing you in this world has changed the way that I view miracles and affirms to me the love of our mighty God in heaven. I have been praying about you since the moment I knew there would be a YOU and have asked others...friends, family, my bible study to pray as well...and you have changed their lives. I once saw that my best friend from high schools sister in law had posted a prayer request on her blog for you in Indiana. The way that God has already used you for his glory, not only to show his awesome power and plan but also to bring people together in prayer literally makes me fall to my knees in awe of him.
This song, What Faith Can Do has been playing a lot on the radio this year and every I hear it I think of you and usually tears roll down my cheeks. Here are the words of the chorus....
I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do
This perfectly describes the faith, hope and love that God asks us to have and that your parents have displayed throughout your whole life. You are a miracle little girl, before you were even a twinkle in your mom & dads eye God knew that he would use you in this extraordinary way to bring hearts closer to him and give people who you have never even met hope. I can only pray to live the rest of my life with that goal in mind and you have already done it with only a year under your belt little lady. I love you, your sister, your dad and your mom! My life will never be the same because of you. I can't wait for all the wonderful things God has ahead for you.
Happy Birthday sweetie, it's one for the books!
Abbi plus Ryan, Griffin & Sawyer
Evie Jayne, I remember the day your dad called me at QLI to let me know you were doing wonderfully. You are a true blessing from God and your mom, dad and sister are ohhhh so lucky to have you in their lives. You are so adoreable and going to break many hearts one day.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Angie Schulz
Happy Birthday Evie Jayne!! May year two be full of more wonderful blessings.
Dear Evie Jayne,
ReplyDeleteI've never met you or your family but I feel like I know you all so well. I learned about your blog from a friend the day before you were born and spent a couple of hours that night reading and crying and praying for you. I'm not a big prayer but something about your story made me feel like I could ask God to help you. Through you I know that God answers prayers and occasionally sends a little piece of his heaven to us here on Earth. You have touched so many lives in your first year and I know you'll continue bringing joy into the world for many more years.
I hope you had a wonderful birthday and will enjoy many more in the years to come.
God bless you Evie Jayne!
AKE
Dear Sweet Evie,
ReplyDeleteI first learned of you and your family from a friend of mine. She sent me the link of your story and asked me to pray for you before you were born! I have been very humbled by your journey, and honored to pray for you every step of the way.
You are proof that life is so precious and all miracles are sent from above. I give praises and thanks to God for placing you on earth to teach all of us unique but important lessons about how precious our life is.
You have such a wonderful Big Sister, and amazing parents who love you. From the pictures and posts that your beautiful mommy has shared I can tell that they love and trust in God with their whole heart, and they will show you this love and trust one day, too. God Loves you, Evie; and he has hand picked you for His purpose!
It has been such an honor to be included in on your journey. You will forever be in my prayers!
Your Kansas Friend, Amanda
Evie Jayne - You are as beautiful as your sweet Mom and big sister. We pray for you constantly and love following you with your Mom's special notes. With love - Tim, Kelli, Conner & Karli Vander Ploeg
ReplyDeleteSweet Little Evie,
ReplyDeleteYou are such a ray of sunshine. You always have a bright beautiful smile on your face each and every time I see you and your eyes glisten like shiny crystals!
I so very much appreciate your mom for sharing your journey with all of us. You continue to inspire so many people...People you have never met and may never meet, but they know you, they pray for you, they only want the BEST for you.
I am so thankful to have the opportunity of knowing you personally. I am certain that you and my Little Miss Macy will be great friends. I know you already enjoy getting together each Thursday while your big sisters are doing gymnastics. Soon enough, that will be you guys us momma's are watching through the glass :-)
I heard you are not feeling well at the moment and that makes my heart hurt. I really really hope you get to feeling better before this Saturday as SOO many of your ODPSN friends are looking forward to seeing you at the Buddy Walk. We are honored tso have you and your momma as a "adopted" member of our Mom's group. After-all, it's all about bonding, connecting and learning from and through each other's experiences as we go through similar (yet different) challenges on our life journeys.
Evie, we love you very much and are soo proud of each and every HAPPY moment you bring to your mommy, daddy and big sister's lives.
Here's to MANY more Happy moments to come :-)
God's Blessings,
The Harnisch Family (Sherri, Joe, McKenzie & Macy)
Evie,
ReplyDeleteWhat an inspiration you are to all of us adults out here thinking we have bad days. You are such a fighter and I see big things for you in life! Keep showing the world that you aren't going to sit back and let this life pass you by! Happy Birthday sweet girl!
God's blessings to you and your family!
Dearest Evie,
ReplyDeleteHappy #1 sweet girl!! You are a blessing:) I can't help but have tears in my eyes each time I think about you. In your special first year Evie, you have changed many lives and will continue to do so with the story God has blessed you with. Your Mom is an extrordinary woman of faith and has made me cherish even the toughest of days. We are looking forward to celebrating many more awesome birthdays with you!
Love and Prayers,
Sarah, Ben, Morgyn, Emery, Eli, and Ty Goldsberry
Dear Evie Jayne,
ReplyDeleteWords cannot describe the profound impact that you and your parents have had on so many people, all over the world!
You are one special little girl, with a very special mom, dad, sister and family. I've gotten to know them over the past several years through church, and am blessed to call your parents some of my very dearest friends.
I remember the night you were born, and praying to our Lord like I had never before. I remember texting your parents' small group throughout the night as I received updates from your Aunt Kirstin. And we were all overjoyed when we received the news that you had made it through the night and that the diagnosis had changed!
Evie, I can't wait to see what God has in store for you. I know He has big plans for you! Know that we pray for you always, and that we love you and your family very much!
Love,
Ron and Jill Carson
Evie Jayne,
ReplyDeleteYou are such a strong, beautiful little girl. I remember the day right after you were born that I talked to Kirstin and she told me you were doing great! I was so excited to meet you, you little miracle! You have the best mom, dad, and big sister in the world - every one of you is a true inspiration.
Love, Kristi & Chip Tredway
Dear Evie,
ReplyDeleteYou bring life and hope to so many people. I love pulling up your mom's blog and reading it because I am filled with such awe and wonder at the perseverance, courage, and strength you demonstrate without even realizing it. From the very beginning, you have been so brave, so strong, and so full of the knowledge that your heavenly Father is taking care of you. You know nothing else. Many people have to learn this throughout their lives, but it is knitted into your very being. You are a living miracle. One day in Heaven, when we're dancing and singing together, I hope I get to sit down and talk with you. I'd love to listen to what the Holy Spirit spoke to you those months you were in your mom's tummy, those many nights in the hospital, the hours you were sick and weak, the times you pushed through and surprised everyone. I have no doubt that you and the Holy Spirit have had so many conversations in the secret places, and that He has poured such a wealth of knowledge, truth, and beauty into your heart. Ah! You are such a display of God's glory and beauty, little one, and all of Heaven and earth celebrate you.
Love,
Whittney Grigsby
Dear Evie Jayne
ReplyDeleteWe are so honoured to know you. Truly.
We met you when you were in the PICU and so sick with RSV. What a tough time that was for you and your family.
Soon our families got to talking and Asher and Lyla got to playing. Asher's big sister, Aria, was in the PICU too recovering from a transplant. We know now that she was actually between transplant, long story, ask your mum/mom.
But you see God has done something amazing in your life and in Aria's life. We all stand around inspired and in awe.
At your first birthday it was a joy to see you plunge your little fists into your cake and enjoy your birthday cake. I can't even begin to imagine the joy of those who have known you from when your mum carried you safe in her belly.
Speaking of your mum and your Dad- they are amazing people too whose faith in God has been totally inspiring. And that Lyla, isn't she a joy? She seems like a very cool big sister.
One day you might want to go out and see the world. Please know you have friends and a home all the way down at the bottom of the world in New Zealand. That is how far you, precious Evie, have reached with your spirit.
We will continue to uphold you in prayer, at the throne of grace. God is good, all the time
Love
The MacDonalds
Anita, Hamish and Aria, Asher
Happy Birthday Evie Jayne Jayne!
ReplyDeleteWriting to you is so sweet. I have so enjoyed holding you and marveling at your huge eyelashes that frame those eyes of yours that express pure joy, questions, knowing, laughter, and always love. You give love away with those beautiful eyes to all that are around you. I have been so scared in this year of yours when you hurt so bad in the hospital or couldn’t catch your breath or all the other “stuff”. You have always come through to bat your eyelashes at me and love me with that look of “Good to see you Papa SteveO!”
You are a teacher as a one year old. You teach trust, you trust your parents completely. They are amazingly worthy of your trust, dear Evie Jayne Jayne. Your parents loving you is a picture to me of God loving us. He is so worthy of our trust. I forget that sometimes in the “day-to-day” but remember it when I see you trusting your parents. You teach me to be in the moment, to love the moments we get to have. Early on I would say to Nana, “but everyday with Evie is a bonus!” when we would get scared or worried that you wouldn’t get the next day. That’s not living in the moment, that’s trying to protect myself. You, Evie Jayne Jayne, teach me that today is so good because it is today, a gift of living from God.
Your great grandma Dorothy had a great love of life. She was the greatest fighter for life I had ever experienced before you came into my life. She fought for every day because she had known life to be rich and spare and beautiful and nasty and close and lonely. All these couplets are so familiar to us who have lived awhile already. But Evie Jayne Jayne, your fight for life this year has no past to remember, no husband to remember that loved you so much like your great grandma Dorothy, no bratty kids to remember as you fight so hard. I just marvel at the spirit of life you have been given by our great and gracious Lord.
Keep teaching me about the good things of life Evie Jayne Jayne.
I love you and thank God that I get to be your Papa SteveO!
Happy Birthday Evie Jayne Jayne!
Hi Evie, it's Daddy!
ReplyDeleteI love you so much! It has been an amazing journey watching, holding, and listening to you everyday grow into the little girl God has intended you to be. You have touched so many lives in so many ways. I personally think the best way is through your smile and the joy that it brings to my heart. You are the strongest fighter I know. You never let colds or sickness get the best of you. Did I mention how awesome of a mother you have. You and your sister Lyla are the luckiest girls to have Lindsey as your mother. I know she loves you more than anything. She would do anything for you. I always look forward to coming home from work and finding out if there was anything new that you had learned. Thanks for being you and showing me what it means to take one day at a time. You light up my life.
I love you so much,
Dad