The Brown Family: Happy Birthday Lilyana!!!

My Beautiful Lily Girl, I can't believe you are 3 today. It seriously seems just like yesterday that I writhed in pain, pushing for four hours just to get you here. What a nightmare that was, but what a beautiful blessing you are!

You have grown so much and into such a beautiful, fun-loving, silly, little girl! I love everything about you and all that you are. I am so proud to be your mommy!

I love your passion for the outdoors. You love everything about nature and you have this innocence in your eyes when you are discovering new things. I love your desire to cuddle with me and I really LOVE it when out of the blue you just have to give me a hug, a kiss, and tell me you love me in sign language.

I love how you enjoy talking about Jesus and how you always remind us to pray. I love how you say so excitedly, "Jesus loves ME!" Yes, Jesus loves you very much and I know he has a very special plan for you! You are a very special and beloved daughter of Heavenly Father.

You have a very sweet spirit and are always concerned about the well being of other people. You love to laugh and make others laugh. I love it when you get into your silly moods and are doing crazy things! Your laughter is so contagious!

You love spending time with your family and playing with your friends. You always get so excited when we get to see Grandma, Grandpa, Auntie Mel, Goose, Bridget and Mandy and they all love you so much! Everyone loves you so much,even your family that cannot be with you.

I pray that you will grow strong and healthy and with a divine love for your Savior. I pray you will always remember how much your family loves you and that we will always be here for you no matter what. I pray that you will be blessed with a pure love for others and that you will strive to uplift them and bring hope to the contrite in spirit.

I hope that you will always keep in mind that popularity is not everything. It is better to be a great friend and to have one great friend than it is to have a whole bunch of friends who are not honest and true in character. I hope that you can find courage and strength within yourself to stand of for yourself, as well as others who cannot stand up for themselves. Be a good person. Remember Jesus and your Heavenly Father in all things.

Pray often. The key to God is prayer. He cares about your troubles and wants to hear about your triumphs. Build up a strong relationship with the Lord and never let it go. Serve. Remember that when you serve others, you are in service of the Lord.

Always do your best. You only cheat yourself when you don't give it your all. Follow your dreams and reach beyond the stars. I know you can do anything and be anything. You are capable of accomplishing whatever you wish.

You are beautiful. Never let anyone tell you differently. You have a light in you that shines so brightly. It draws people to you. I just want you to know that I love you so much and I love the time that we spend together. You can always make me laugh. I love dancing with you. I love how smart you are. I love YOU. . .everything. . .all of it. Be who you are, always!

At 3, Lilyana loves:

*Watching Dora, Diego, Barney and any Disney Princess Movie.
*Playing outside whether it's warm or snowing.
*Dancing to music.
*Doing the Potty Train to go to the bathroom.
*Her little sister.
*Macaroni and cheese.
*Reading books with Mommy and Daddy.
*Doing art! (the messier, the better!)
*Her pink princess boots!
*Any type of candy.
*Play with any dog but her own (not sure why . . .?)
*Cuddling with Mommy.
*Getting Horsey rides from Daddy.
*Helping Mommy cook!
*Dressing up like a princess (usually Aurora or Cinderella)
and pretending to dance with the prince.(That is usually my job. I never get to be the princess!)
*Blowing bubbles.
*Taking walks.
*Collecting rocks.
*Going to church.
*Singing songs.
*Her pink Blankie and her Doggy. Neither she can sleep without.
*Being a backseat driver! (Drives both of us crazy!)
*Seeing the mouse and playing at Chuck E Cheese.
*Playing with her friends.
*Going to the park.
*Saying Prayer.