THIS IS KIND OF BLOWING MY MIND

This picture of Reid and her mom is now among my all time favorite pictures, among the ones that I will always remember and will recall as that picture. My beautiful sister holding her week-old first born, her daughter, my precious niece, another child who has caused me surprise at my own capacity for love.

It's funny how quickly I forget what it's like to meet a newborn; how easy it is to think that all newborns are pretty much the same - they sleep, eat and poop and that's about it. Thinking back to my first experience as an aunt when Aubrey was born, and when I met Pete and now Reid, their uniqueness is immediately apparent; the difference in the way they move their tiny mouth or the sound of their cry. They are each captivating in their own way. God's miracles - before we were even conceived, he knew what would be special about each one of us, he knew the plan for our life and set it in motion. Maybe Reidy's little bird cry will turn into a beautiful singing voice, or her affinity for Pugs will draw her to a life in Chinese Pug Rescue.

Maybe Pete's height foretells aspirations of caring for giraffes, or his sense of humor (yes, believe me, he has one at the age of 4.5 months) will give him the ability to try and fail a million times without giving up before he discovers the cure for disease.


Maybe Aubrey's command of language will lead her to study monkey communication, or her imagination will stretch boundaries into new ideas that change the world as we know it.


Maybe I'm just biased and have great expectations for these children who will carry on my lineage. But one thing is true, God has great plans for us and a new life just starting its journey is a beautiful reminder.