Happy 19th Birthday, Isabel!

Dear Isabel,

Your 19th birthday found you far from us, but surrounded by the love of family in the United States. Just two short weeks after leaving us in Chile and reconnecting with your grandparents, cousin and sister stateside and starting your first "real" job at camp for the summer, you stepped into the last of your "teen" years and we are so proud of you!

Aunt Jenn prepared homemade chicken pot pie at your request and you were celebrated with not one, but two cakes (at both the Rubins' home and Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop's house!) We were happy to tag along via video call to sing "Happy Birthday" and watch you open gifts. Though it's always been a challenge to shop for a girl who's not much into shopping, you do love t-shirts with clever statements and hopefully enjoyed the pro-life and faith/medical themes on a couple we chose. I also added a jar of candy as similar as possible to what you love at home in Chile (the lemon-and-orange, fruit slice, hard kind!)

fun times with cousins

Sissy, we celebrate 19 years of knowing and loving you and look forward to all God has in store for you this year and in the years to come. I miss your presence, laughter, spicy humor and company each week at FLORECE and for the occasional "chick flick" that your brothers and Dad can't quite appreciate. I miss seeing you with your nose in a book or flipping pages on your Kindle reader, and trying to keep up with your requests for more reading material! I miss seeing you snuggle with Silas, play with Sophia, and lead Nathaniel on shopping outings to Lider. But in the midst of the missing, I am so happy that you are experiencing a fullness of life right now fulfilling kitchen duties at camp, meeting new people weekly, making friends, enjoying your cousins, breathing fresh air and soaking in sunshine and returning to something like "normal" this summer stateside.

And I am praying for your next steps, coming soon! Arriving at college, reconnecting with your Garcia/Starkweather family, setting up your dorm room, adjusting to new studies and schedules and making new and hopefully lasting friendships. I am so glad that Daddy will be with you in just a few more weeks to see you settled and give you all the hugs for us both. 

Happy 19th Birthday, Isabel Hope! You have kept us on our toes and taught us so much with your strength and resilience since you were just a little girl. I am so thankful for the privilege to be at your side through a NICU stay, more doctors and therapists than we can remember, multiple MRIs and watching you overcome just about every "can't" that came your way. You are brave and strong with the help of the Lord and I pray you will remember and look to Him every single day for the rest of your life. 

I love you!

Mommy

Birthday Posts by Year:

18th Birthday - Isabel
17th Birthday - Isabel
16th Birthday - Isabel
15th Birthday - Isabel
14th Birthday- Isabel
13th Birthday - Isabel
12th Birthday - Isabel
11th Birthday - Isabel
10th Birthday - Isabel
9th Birthday - Isabel
8th Birthday - Isabel
7th Birthday - Isabel
6th Birthday - Isabel
5th Birthday - Isabel