My baby girl. My fought-for little miracle. And, as your four older siblings would probably tell everyone here, the undisputed baby of the family.

You had the sweetest baby rolls, which earned you the nickname Tubby. The rolls disappeared years ago, but somehow the nickname stuck.

You’ve been attached to me since the day you were born. First because I refused to share you, and later because peeling you off me became a daily occurrence—even as a teenager.

Doing your hair and dressing you up was one of my greatest joys.

Even at two years old, sitting in the grocery cart, people would stop to tell me how adorable you were. I couldn’t help but smile and say, “Oh yeah? Watch this.”

Without fail, you’d lock eyes with a complete stranger and deliver the most perfectly timed little wink. The whole aisle melted.

You’ve always loved people. Even as a little girl, you’d hand out random compliments. I remember thinking, “Please never lose that.”

You also never sat still for more than seven seconds. There was a lot of running, spilling, breaking things, losing things, and forgetting things…

And somehow, everyone else always seemed to get caught in the aftermath. To this day, I’m not sure how one tiny person could leave so much chaos in her wake.

But that’s also the thing about you—you’ve never done anything halfway.

When you decided to do something, you went all in. Whatever captured your heart, you gave it everything you had.

The qualities I’ve admired most about you are your resilience, your ability to connect with anyone, and your willingness to stand up for those who are struggling. You have always been incredibly self-aware, deeply thoughtful, and yes… wonderfully blunt!

People were always amazed that we’d be barking at each other one minute and then laughing together five minutes later like nothing had ever happened.

That was just us.

Loud love.

Quick forgiveness.

There are a few things I know I’ll always treasure.

The late-night conversations that always started after I’d already climbed into bed.

Leaving you little sticky notes of encouragement.

Being your on-call therapist as we solved every problem, processed every feeling, and somehow managed to fix the world before bedtime.

And hearing the front door fly open as my little tornado swirled through the house without warning.

One of my favorite exchanges between us is this…

I say, “I love you.”

You say, “I love you more.”

And then I get to say my two favorite words:

“Not possible.”

I always knew your sensitive heart, your tenacity, and your anchored faith in God wouldn’t be appreciated by just anyone. It would require a very special man—someone secure enough to appreciate every bit of who you are.

And then…

Logan showed up.

You weren’t completely convinced at first—and honestly, I was grateful for that. I knew your heart well enough to know you wouldn’t settle until you found someone worthy of it.

But as I’ve watched the two of you from a distance, I’ve seen something rare. I’ve watched you match each other’s intensity while choosing honesty, grace, forgiveness, and humility—not because someone ‘made’ you, but because you both wanted to build something worth keeping.

That’s when I knew God was writing a story neither of you could have written on your own.

I’ve watched your love grow as you’ve leaned into family, sought wise counsel, and pursued God together.

And Logan, I’ve watched you lovingly lead her, defend her, encourage her, cherish her, and most importantly, love her exactly as she is.

Logan…

You’re getting a woman who will challenge you, fiercely defend you, support your dreams, make you laugh, keep life exciting, and love you with her whole heart.

She’ll also leave things in strange places, borrow your hoodie forever, and ask you where something is, while it’s sitting right in front of her.

Cherish every bit of it.

Because what feels ordinary today will someday become the things you miss the most.

And today, with a full heart, I’m not standing here losing a daughter. I’m celebrating the incredible woman she has become, the man she has chosen, and the beautiful life the two of you are building together.

She’ll always be my baby girl.

And I get the incredible privilege of welcoming another son into my life.

Take good care of my little tornado. She’s one of God’s greatest gifts to me.

Good luck.

You’re gonna need it. 😉

But I promise you…

She’s worth every second.

I love you both so much.

Cheers!