I am this little girl's mommy.
She likes to play baseball. 
She LOVES pink and purple.
...and every morning for the past 2 weeks, the first words out of her sleepy mouth were, "I want pigtails."
Tonight, she was acting especially "mature" and so at dinner, John asked her, "Cora, how old are you?" With all the maturity of a 15 year old and a flick of her hair she said, "Um...I'm 2."Dearest Cora,
It's not your birthday or any "special day" on the calendar, but I want you to know how much I love being your mommy. From the moment you were born, you've had a look and air about you that said..."Life, I'm ready for you!" I love your confident spirit, rarely shying away from a new challenge. Just tonight, your teacher at church told me how impressed he was that you climbed a ladder on the playground that they normally don't let the kids in your class climb! When he asked you to do it again so he could watch you and make sure you were confident enough to do it, even in your croc sandals, you climbed that ladder boldly and with all the strength your 2 year old little body could muster!
I love laughing with you...I love tickling you and feeling your strong little body giggle and laugh. You've always been a tough little cookie. I have to say though, when you do get hurt...when your circumstances overwhelm you and you come running to my arms...there is something in my heart that melts then most of all. There is something about hearing you say, "I want Mommy! Mommy, I want you hold me!" in your time of greatest distress that makes me the most proud. I scoop you up and hold you...hold my tough, crumbling little cookie in my arms and brush your face against mine and sing like my mom did with me...
"Everything's okay, Cora...everything's okay.
Mommy loves you dearly, Daddy loves you too...
Jesus is our Savior, He's the Son of God.
Everything's okay Cora...everything's okay."
Sometimes things happen that are not "okay"...but I want you to learn early on that in those moments, running to the one who loves you most makes it okay. As much as Mommy and Daddy love you, dear one...there is One who loves you more. Jesus is with you....He made you...longs to be near you and with you from now to the end of time...He wants to take the tough little cookie He created and mold and shape you into the image of Christ. I think there's something about His heart that melts too when we run to Him when we're most "undone" and say, "Daddy, help me..."
I love you Cora Grace, and I'm going to tickle you until you're too big to tickle (which I'm not sure ever happens!) and then we'll walk and talk together about where Jesus has taken us in this crazy life, and stand amazed as David did in 2 Samuel, that looking back over the years of ups, downs and all arounds...He's taken us "this far!"
He did it for David, and He's already painting the picture of your journey with Him, sweet one. Trust Him along the way, and there will be many moments you can can echo the thoughts of David and stand amazed at our God!!! Oh the places you'll go...
2 Samuel 7:18
"Who am I, Sovereign Lord and what is my family that you have brought us this far?"
Precious......
All that Cora is, and all that you wrote... Precious.
XOXOX
Too cute!