My precious girl is 3

Today was a big day for Sylvia! She turned 3!

Three years ago Sylvia was born in a poor hospital on the outskirts of Joburg. She had a really rough go of it in the beginning. Her first six months or so were basically spent trying to survive from one day to the next. She had the wonderful support and prayers and selfless love of lots of aunties, a few in particular, who gave of themselves so that Sylvia would make it through. And she did! She is a survivor and an overcomer. I probably wrote that same thing last year when she turned two! Because that will always be a part of her history and it is important that it be remembered and reflected upon. We are so thankful to God for that! He pulled her through.

Sylvia shows that same tenacity and perseverance in other areas of her life now, too. If she is a bit frightened or daunted about something, like for example the trampoline when we first got it, or the pool and getting splashed in the face, she sticks to it and pushes through until she gets the hang of it or gets over her fear of it. Now she is a pro on the trampoline, and she loves to jump into the pool and make a big splash. And at first she had a lot of trouble figuring out how to ride a bike. But she just kept practicing until she got the hang of it! She is perseverant and determined and she won’t let life’s circumstances hold her back. She pushes through. I am proud of that about her. About a lot of things, really, but that sticks out to me about her. It’s something that God gifted her with and that she has experience with because of her background. God makes all things beautiful. He works all things together for our good.

Today we just had a tiny celebration with our family. I save parties for 4 year-olds, when they really actually care about that sort of thing. We had a tiny cake and one present and sang several times, and Sylvia sang along to herself. She is my precious girl and I am so thankful for her!

 This is one way Sylvia used the megaphone she received as a birthday present.

 This is very much a typical Sylvia face.

Girl's got some serious moves.