Annabelle's Special Day!

Today my sweet little niece Annabelle turns 3 years old! I just can't belive it! Three years ago Dayton and I flew to Florida to help out my cousin Sheri who had just delivered her son Wesley. We knew that Annabelle's birth mother was due pretty soon and we knew she lived in Florida also, just didn't know where. When we arrived off of the plane my cousin Sheri asked me what would make that day even better, I couldn't think of anything, she screamed "Annabelle was born this morning and Chris and Melanie are on there way down! Now we are talking a 24 hour car ride! So we had to wait for them to arrive before we could go see little Annabelle in the hospital, and they were to stay for 2 weeks in order for paperwork to be finished. As God plans everything in his very perfect way, Annabelle was born just 10 minutes from Sheri's house. I was able to go with them when they placed her in there arms for the first time. We had to be buzzed in to the nurses station and when we turned the corner there she was, so tiny in the nurses arms. I started crying, the ugly cry. I was so happy for my sister. I had watched her give herself huge shots in her hips, lose more weight than gain during her pregnancies, helped change her bed pans when she was bedridden for months and in the hospital, only to stand next to her at a grave site and bury three little angels. She did everything she could to be a mother, with a smile on her face, never complaining. At 29 she had a hysterectomy, I remember the dr telling us that her ovaries were almost touching, they were the size of grapefruits when he removed them. Adoption was her only chance at raising a child. What a blessing when the agency called and told them they had a baby girl on the way! Such a miracle! Then a year later, they received another call that a full blooded sister was theirs if they wanted her. Absolutely they did! Little Chloe joined them the following December. These little girls have filled the gaps in all of our lives. Looking at little Annabelle, I see a sweet child, full of sunshine, a petite, delicate little darling who lights up a room with her smile. I love to hear her say "Hi Aunt Se-ssie" in her little scratchy voice. I can't wait to celebrate her special day with her this weekend, she has a "gotcha day" too! I am so grateful that God placed these beautiful children in the arms of my sister and her husband, they have brought so much joy into all of our lives! Happy Birthday to our little firefly!