Saturday, October 5, 2019

Happy #8!

Today we celebrate 8 years with our Miracle Girl.

I wrote last year about how seven was the age she always wanted to be and she was right in wishing for this year - it was wonderful!

At seven Annabeth - mastered reading, bike riding, swimming, and more.
I remember meeting her in the NICU and just staring at her, sobbing, thanking the Lord for saving her but also wondering what huge plan God had for her. He chose to save her. He chose to restart her heart. He gave her this life. I stand in awe of Him always.

As for Annabeth there were SO many times this year that she just amazed me...

Annabeth Sage is sweet, curious, kind, and full of curiosity.
I love her passion for life, her refusal to take "no"for an answer, 
and to see challenges as opportunities to grow.  

One of my favorite moments of the year was this one. 
At the Applause Regional she earned a scholarship to a dance camp in Chicago.
She cried for HOURS. She was just completely overwhelmed with joy and excitement.
It was such a beautiful moment as her Mama to see her hard work pay off - so much so that 
we rearranged our whole summer and our year's budget to make that trip happen.  

While in New York, I found that Annabeth is my kind of traveler,
she also likes to wake up and hit the ground running each day. 
We had so much fun grabbing coffee and exploring Lewiston, NY together.  

Annabeth has been asking for about a year to audition for "America's Got Talent"
so when the opportunity to dance in Johnson County's Got Talent came up, we said "yes."
She danced her little heart out and won the WHOLE show. Her first Grand Champion at just seven years old. My favorite part? All she told anyone about it later was how awesome the ventriloquist
was and how much she loved that girl's act.
Even when it should be all about her, she never makes it that way. 

When Annabeth was four years old, she came out of Toy Gym with Miss Kari
and she said, "Mom. I need to do compete now." Miss Kari just shrugged and smiled and said
"When they love it, they love it." On the way home Annabeth told me her goal was to get 
her picture on the wall of national champions (at four years old this was her goal!!!)
This year, she made it happen. 
She went to Best of the Best for the first time with two dances and her acro group
won first place!  

Dancing in Chicago at Fuzion Dance Camp.
She was the youngest in the whole group, went in confidently, danced her heart out
each and ever day. I would be afraid at my age to do something so intimidating (walking into a group
of strangers, finding my place, and succeeding) But she did it and she did it so bravely.

As Grand Champion, and division winner, she was able to dance at the 
Indiana State Fair. She was, again, the youngest had a great dance and earned a 
Participation Ribbon.
You know what I love?
I love that she was SO proud of her ribbon, proud of her first time at the state fair,
proud to be the first one in the family to earn a State Fair ribbon. She didn't care one little
bit that she didn't place or win. She was just happy to be there.

That sums up Annabeth, happy to be here.

That also sums up how we feel about her. We  know what it's like to wait years for someone, to pray so hard your knees go numb, to wish and dream and plan, and to have it all change when a heartbeat stops. We also know God's incredible goodness and His grace. If anything good comes from any of us, know that it's all because of Him. 

Happy #8 My Miracle Girl. 

No comments: