our little light...Ilona Noelle

It's a girl! I imagined over and over what it would feel like for Dr. Bueso to announce to us who this little bambino has been all along. All I could do is cry tears of joy when he first presented us with our baby girl. Of course, my reaction would have been the same if he said, "it's a boy", :) but we were so delighted to become parents instantly of this new, perfect, shining light, our daughter.

as we met our sweet little one for the first few moments, all we could do was gaze into her bright, blue eyes and say thank you, thank you, thank you. just as the angels sing, holy, holy, holy to the one truly perfect and miracle babe born in bethlehem, so our hearts cried out in wonder and adoration. thank you, thank you, thank you for this miracle, born to us in san pedro.

our mouths instantly spoke of her as, "sweet girl" and "little one", since we hadn't yet determined her name. we had decided on two different names for a boy, as well as for a girl, but weren't sure until meeting her, just who she really was. Ilona rolled off my lips easily and naturally, to which Jason affirmed that's who she was. Ilona. A bright, shining light; Hungarian for Helen. And Noelle, "day of birth", reminding us of the most important birth-day in all of creation. this advent season has been especially marked with anticipation for us, as we have had the double the joy to look forward to. my favorite time of the year is easily the weeks leading up to Christmas, and culminating in a large, family celebration together on Christmas Eve. these weeks are marked with kind words, quality family time, quiet evenings, freshly fallen snow, warm drinks and flavorful meals, and joyous celebration of the gift we have been given in Jesus. as the day neared when we would finally meet our miraculous gift, the miracle of Jesus has become more and more real. born as a helpless babe, under impossible and less than ideal circumstances He entered the world helplessly and humbly, showing both the power and grace of God. our little babe entered the world saturday in a similar way, helpless and humble, defying all odds of conception and birth. her life is truly a miracle and we thank God alone for both his power and grace to fulfill the deepest desires of our hearts and provide us with another gift in the form of a baby.

our Ilona is born of a rich heritage of torch bearers, shining lights in dark places and for the sake of bringing glory to our Savior. My grandma, Ilona, has touched countless lives in countries all over the world as she and her young family emigrated from Hungary and settled in the States a little over 50 years ago. Her light is bright, a life characterized by courage, service, love and deep commitment to her family. My aunt, Helen (Ilona), brightens each and every room she enters, so fortunate to have her presence. Her heart is soft to the needs of others, and full of more love than can be explained by human standards. she is light-filled vessel, committed to her God and intent on shining brightly wherever she may be planted. Her daughter, my cousin, Rebecca Ilona has carried the name with grace and such beauty. She has the courage and commitment of her grandmother, along with the tenderness and deep love for others just like her mother. Her light is strong and bright, yet even more, it's full of beauty. Everything she touches, whether with the stroke of a paint brush, or with her tender words, is made more beautiful by the light she shines. these three women of faith have inspired me for the past 30 years to allow my life to shine brightly, thus committing my days and my ways to the glory of God alone.

and now we introduce to the world our bright, shining light, born in the most miraculous of ways. Ilona Noelle. we pray her life and ours would shine brightly in the world, bringing glory and honor to our Father God and living a life characterized by courage, love and beauty.

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you...The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory" (Isaiah 60: 10,19).