Mary Grace.

Oh Mary Grace.

The action and excitement never ceases with you in this world, darling girl. And today we celebrate nine whole years of adventure.  Adventure and fun and a volume of noise I never knew before you burst onto the scene.

Mary Grace, it’s been quite a year.  You’ve announced to the world that you have found your soulmate and the boy who will surely marry.  (Hilariously, your older brother’s best friend.  Typical.)  You’ve become enchanted with all things Hogwarts.  (And have self-identified as a Slytherin.)  You’ve chosen to follow Jesus and be baptized.  It’s been a really good year.

It’s also been a stretching year for our family.  A year of sacrifice and transition. A year of unknowns and goodbyes.  And, good gracious, it’s been an absolute joy to watch you process our upcoming move and, ultimately, shift from a place of doubt and “NO WAY JOSE” to a position of trust, surrender, and- LO AND BEHOLD- excitement.

Mary Grace, your love affair with ninjas still runs deep, and your career aspirations of becoming 1. a ninja, 2. the president, and 3. a secret service agent have remained quite consistent.  When you’re not plotting to rule the world, you can be found running a very believable school out of your bedroom or stealthily prowling as some sort of wild beast.  You’re creative and imaginative and a naturally gifted leader.

Currently, your favorite color is black.  Your favorite food is frozen pizza.  Your best friend is Elizabeth.  And your tippy top favorite, irreplaceable, the-earth-will-surely-end-if-we-lost-it possession is still your baby “Deluga” that you’ve had since birth.

Mary Grace, I love that you cannot and will not be boxed in.  You march to the beat of your own (very loud) drummer, and you have a boldness and confidence that is unique.  Don’t lose this. Don’t you dare lose this.  I just pray- man do I pray– that this confidence is rooted deeply, firmly, unshakably in the goodness of the God who created you and calls you his own.  He loves you so much and so do we, sweet girl.

Happy 9th birthday, Mary Grace!