Happy 10th Birthday to our "Beloved Grace"

Our Precious Esmée,


Today we celebrate your 10th birthday and all the life you bring to our family! I will never forget the first time I laid eyes on you in person. I expected you to be shy. I thought it would take you a long time to warm up to me. But I didn't know you then. I just longed to. It seems like I've known you forever now. But way back then you found me before I found you. You saw me first and you knew I was your mom. You jumped into my arms and held onto me so tight I had to pry you from me to see who it was that I was holding. I melted when I saw that it was you.You held my heart from the first picture I ever held of you. I looked at your sweet face and I knew that you were my daughter. I loved you with an indescribable intensity from that moment on. This is why we named you Esmée. Because Esmée means "beloved" or "much loved". You are my girl and you now tell me this every day. Yesterday morning I woke up to a sweet letter from you delivered to my bedside saying, 

"We Love my Mom. 
I no (know) my mom Love me.
I no (know) my mom Love my sister.
I no (know) my mom Love my brothers.
We Love my Dad.
-Esmée Karys


You love to say you are mama's girl. You love to hear me say you are mama's girl. You love it so much you have asked to share my name (middle name) Charis (with the Haitian spelling), which is the greek word for "grace". We believe that God's grace is what has brought you to our family and how you have embraced being our daughter and a sister to Elita Marguerite, Ethan, and Evan with everything that is in you. We all feel so loved by you too. Sometimes people think you are shy, but your family knows this is just another one of your silly games. One moment you are a princess that must be carried to her room in high style. The next you are at war with the cockroaches and running laps around the soccer field with guys 5 times your size. You are the bravest, silliest, sweetest, sassiest, prettiest, most precious little girl. You are our little girl. We are so thankful for your life. And we are forever thankful that God gave us you. Today we celebrate all He has done in your life. We think these pictures show that a little. We wish our dear family and friends could see what we are blessed to see in real life. Because they too are a big part of where you are today!

The first picture I held of you. 

This is the oldest picture we have before you were brought to the orphanage.
Your hair is orange (a sign of malnutrition) 
but you still have that 
deep 
thoughtful 
longing 
look in your eyes.
I love that look.

This is the first picture we received of you after we were matched as your forever family.
I freaked out when I saw how small you were next to Marguerite
(whom we were told was the same age).
We asked how much you weighed.
We were told you weighed only 38 lbs.
Your brother Evan was a small 3 yr. old at the time. 
He weighed 38 lbs. too.
We prayed every day that God would grow you in every way. 

I met you 2 months later.
You were such a tiny little girl.
I loved you completely...
My much loved girl.

Your spirit is much bigger than your size.
This is one reason you are alive today.
And because of God's grace.

God has given His life for you.
All those years when you did not have an earthly daddy, you still had a Heavenly daddy.
But God's grace has given you an earthly daddy now.
And he would give his life for you too.

Your sister and brothers adore you!

Our prayers have been answered.
You have grown so much...
in every way.

I am honored to be your mother.
We are honored to be your family.
You are no longer an orphan Esmée Ream.

We have so much to celebrate in our much loved girl!
We celebrate all the years of God's grace in your life!
We are blessed to be in your homeland with you.
We pray that soon we can bring you to our homeland.
And get you a sassy bike like this one...
for a belated birthday present!

You are our Esmée Karys...
Our "Beloved Grace"
And we will celebrate your life every day!