Just Her.

Her beauty is breathtaking.

I realized after I took these pictures of Tessa in the pool this weekend, that this is one of the most natural, peaceful and beautiful settings for her.  No headband, no ears, no glasses, no leg braces, no equipment...just Tessa, floating in her tube, with a pool noodle Daddy tied on with cute little bows, to support her head.

She looks so big to me in these pictures and emotionally it takes me to both ends of the spectrum:  

~Thankful for all the many things we have to help aid Tessa day to day

~ Heartbroken that she requires so much and we have few situations where we see her....just her.

I look at these pictures and dream of how amazing it would be if she got out of her tube and walked and played on those steps in the water.  I wish those little legs, so long and so beautiful, could do more for her.  I wish her little neck was strong enough to hold her little head up, to show off that ridiculously cute top-knot of all that beautiful long hair she has!  I wish those little arms and hands could reach out and splash in the water.  I wish she could hear me telling her how beautiful she is and how happy she looks in the water.  I wish her body could lay relaxed for longer periods of time without her tone causing her back to arch.

But.

I truly believe Miss Tessa...she wishes for nothing else.  She knows the absolute depths of God's love for her.  She knows that God created her in His image and for His purpose.  She knows her legs and neck and arms and hands and ears and body could do more for her, but she has peace in knowing that she IS God's child...His creation, and she is beautiful.

She knows.

Instead of wishing, Tessa embraces the opportunities that are right in front of her.  She lays relaxed in the moments her body will allow and feels the wind on her face.  She smiles when her brother jumps in the water creating lots of waves and delights in the weightlessness of floating.  She giggles when she gets spalshed in the face by the unexpected cannonball.  She knows how clever her Daddy is when she looks down to see two pretty light pink bows tied to hold on a bright pink noodle where she can rest her head.  She is content laying peaceful and relaxed because she knows her Mommy will come pick her up and give her lots of hugs and kisses when it's time to get out for a snack.
She lives life under complete grace.

I am learning.

This little girl teaches me something every day.  She reminds me how much God loves us and His goodness in our lives.  She smiles when we think she has little to smile about.  She is joyful and content.  She trusts those that have been placed in her life and depends on them with certainty of God's provision.  

She gets up every day and does it again.
She is breathtaking from the inside out.

~Whitney