This Thankful Thursday I have the overwhelming privilege of celebrating the birthday of my precious miracle baby girl, Elizabeth Mercy. I am thankful beyond words!!
If you missed just how miraculous Elizabeth being here – home forever – is, then please read the story in Part 6 of Our Wild Adventure. She is a miracle through and through **tears welling AGAIN!** I cannot wait to see what the Lord has planned for her life – obviously it’s gonna’ be so stinkin’ awesome because it was orchestrated by the Mountain-Moving, Miracle-Working, Awe-Inspiring, Gasp-Giving God of the Entire Universe!!!!!
A few months back they told us they were going to need to pick a birthday for Elizabeth and somehow we thought we would get the honor. I was voting for my birthday – not that Elizabeth would be excited to share with Mama, but this Mama would be tickled pink!! Anyway, by the time I arrived in Africa the date had been chosen – January 1st. I was happy. It seems fitting that Miss Elizabeth is starting a new life and it coincides with a New Year. Around our house January 1st has never been a big day since we live so far from family – so now we have a great reason to celebrate and be all festive and partyish.
Elizabeth is gentle and kind. She loves to clean up and organize – even in the middle of the night! =) She is enjoying playing with dollies and tea sets and being snuggled all day long by us! She finally gets to be the little girl God made her to be.
Dw and I took the two littlest to Starbucks (I know! What took us so long??!) and grocery shopping yesterday. We had such fun. We bought the supplies to have a little birthday party for Elizabeth. We have invited a few friends. One of the things we bought were birthday party plates with balloons all over them. She has carried them all over in a bag. I am not sure we will be able to really use them as she is very attached to them at the moment. Either way, she has been carrying bags of things, and Dw and I have been calling her our little Bag Lady.
Realizing that in the orphanage they never had anything to call their own, nothing! Our little Bag Lady is carrying her treasures all over the place. So sweet! She stashes food in the bags too. Sweet princess doesn’t understand that there is plenty of food for her!
She is also a girly-girl!! At the orphanage the clothes were put in piles each time everyone was getting dressed and the workers would just dig through the pile and pick something that kind of fit. Boys wore dresses, girls wore boy stuff, the point was just get the kids dressed. So! When Emma and I were there (other volunteers like Eleanor, Siobhan, and Anna as well) we would try to put boys in boys and girls in girls, but our Elizabeth would ALWAYS dig through the pile and find a dress to wear – she loves being a girl – which is so TOTALLY my daughter! I love wearing dresses and skirts (although in our 15 degree weather I do opt for something a tad warmer)….but when we pastored in Virginia and North Carolina I wore dresses! I love that she loves dresses too…
I will post pictures of her party later, but celebrate with us our little Miracle baby girl –
My sweet Jaelyn turns 5 today, so we are celebrating too! This is her third birthday with us, and she definitely knows how to celebrate now:) Have a special time.
Oh a perfect day indeed! New Year’s Happy Birthday wishes for a very very special little girl! Go forth and eat CAKE!!! 🙂
Happy, Happy Birthday Elizabeth!!! What an awesome birthday gift…..that of a FOREVER FAMILY!! Praying for God’s many blessings upon your life!!
Jen and Marin, too! (who turned 4 Christmas Day!)
Happiest Birthday dear Elizabeth!
We love you and are so glad you’re home!
What a special birthday for such a special little girl! And so fitting too, the beginning of a new year and new wonderful life! Happy Birthday Elizabeth!
Have a great birthday, Elizabeth. 3 is a GREAT age!!! Have fun!!!!!
Tammy
Oh you precious Elizabeth, I had no idea you are just one day younger than my precious Jaxson. HAPPY BIRTHDAY sweet baby girl!
Linny, I pray God brings us many, many more little ones too. I have actually been very sad today thinking about the mountain in front of us to bring more babies home. I know from experience God can move those mountains in an instant but man when your looking up at it somehow it looks impossible. If everyone knew how precious these orphan babes are there would be so many more familes out there. These kiddos change your life!
Also I think they got the year wrong on your birthday because you don’t look a day over 30. You are not old at all my friend.
Dear Linn,
Gracie and I are catching up on your blog together and we want to wish Precious Miss Elizabeth Mercy a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY from The Chapman Family!
With Love and Prayers, Amy (& Grace!)
Happy Birthday, sweet Elizabeth! We have been following along, and are so happy everyone is adjusting so well. My little Lily, recently 3, says that Elizabeth looks very pretty in her Snow White dress, and she said she hopes that Elizabeth gets a tea set for her birthday! Of course, having a loving forever family is the best birthday gift she will ever receive!
Happy new year!
All the best,
Nicole A. in OH
Happy birthday little Elizabeth!! Have a great day and birthday.
Samantha
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISS ELIZABETH! Love, jen
Happy Birthday Miss Elizabeth! I hope your day is filled with lots of presents and yummy cake! I can’t wait for you to meet Miss Lucy who is also 3!! You two will have such fun together.
Your Forever Family is so blessed to have YOU!!!
Happy Birthday to your precious princess!! I love little princess girls! We are praising God with you!
Happy Birthday Elizabeth Mercy! You are so very special, in so many ways. God bless.
Happy Birthday precious Elizabeth. How sweet to be celebrating in the arms of your family.
Love Fi.
Linny, our girls birthdays will be only weeks apart. Sierra will turn three on January 23rd, the day we land back in the USA!!
Only 1 week to go!!!!
Kathie
HAPPY BIRTHDAY sweet baby girl your year will be filled with such happiness in your forever family I cannot wait to hear how your year goes and how you learn and grow in the love of god
Oh, I’d love some chili and some cake with you, time to really get to know your awesome family. We are so blessed!
Robbie
Happy Birthday, Elizabeth! You are a Princess indeed!
Happy Birthday, Elizabeth! You are a Princess indeed!
Happy, happy birthday, Miss Elizabeth!
Will be anxious to see her blowing out the candles and all of you celebrating. What can I bring (to go w/ the chili & cake)? Something that would travel well?!?
Happy Birthday sweet girl! Can’t wait to have chili at your house!!!!!
Happy birthday, Elizabeth. God has definitely had his hand on your precious life. I cant wait to see the amazing things that He has in store for you.
Happy Birthday baby girl!!!! My girlies will be celebrating their third birthday TOMORROW! I think you three would have such fun playing dress up together!
I’m so glad God blessed your mommy and daddy with you, just like I’m thankful God blessed us with our babies! We’re SO lucky!!!
I hope you enjoyed your day and are now settled in and sleeping peacefully. I hope you’re dreaming of joyful things and of pure family love.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET ELIZABETH MERCY!
What a great way to celebrate every new year from now on. I so wish we lived closer so we could all celebrate together.
We were all admiring how adorable Elizabeth looks in her Snow White dress!
Happy third Birthday sweet Elizabeth Mercy, how precious you are! We were celebrating here today too, Teddi’s 4th birthday (which is actually on the 5th, but big brother leaves tomorrow)– What a joy to shower birthday love on someone who has never known such a thing.
Thank you Father God that our sweet birthday girls are celebrating with their very own families this year, oh how blessed we are!
Love from our nest to yours!
Tina
Happy Birthday, Elizabeth! I’m so glad you get to have a great birthday with an amazing family! I’ll be praying!
What a sweet girl with a contagious smile! Happy Birthday, Elizabeth Mercy! God has big plans for you! Enjoy your party, the cake, the ice cream, and all of the love from your forever family!
Hugs,
Robin
Happy Birthday Elizabeth Mercy !!!!!!!!! What a precious gift from God you are.
Melissa
Happy Birthday, sweet girl!
Linn, I hope you don’t mind…I was talking about God’s miracles in our adoption paperwork recently and I just had to link to your blog to talk about miracles.
Happy New Year to A Place Called Simplicity!
Happy Birthday, dear Elizabeth Mercy! I never heard of you before today, but I feel like I am celbrating with you, even without the chili and cake! What an amazing story of God’s grace and mercy you will have to tell!