We celebrated baby girl’s fifth birthday recently.

Five.

My BABY is FIVE.

She is full of life.

One of the most positive people I know.

For instance, at a recent family vacation to the oregon coast she said, “Good thing it was a great day for flying kites at the beach!”

She can be moody, but she always finds the good in things.

I hope she never loses that.

She loves to play games that she makes up. Recently, its been “family” with dolls, but she makes up all kinds of games to play on her own, with friends, with one of us, and especially her brother.

She adores her brother and loves to play the games that he plays. He’s not always interested in playing with her dolls, but she is always up for playing Minecraft, Mario Brothers, or any of the games that her brother loves. 

She is strong and sensitive.

She’s silly and loving.

She is social when she feels comfortable, which means she talks my arm off all day long.

She has become a lot more independent this year and doesn’t cling to my leg everywhere we go, but can still be very timid with the unknown.

She’s always been my girl and tells me all day long how much she loves me.

She humors me and poses for all the photos I ask to take of her. Goodness is she is photogenic.

She loves to draw pictures and do all sorts of crafts.

Recently, on one of the games she plays on the computer, she has figured out how to use the shapes to create cards for us…she created a Minecraft card for her brother and many cards for me that, in her words, “tell you I love you”.

She swims, scooters, climbs, runs, digs in the dirt, skis, plays sports with her brother, twirls, dances, and sleeps ALWAYS in a skirt.

Everyday she wears a skirt. This year has been the year of the long dresses and skirts.

She is all girl, but in her own very special way.

She will ALWAYS be my baby.

I love you baby girl.

I asked her the same questions that I asked her brother this year on his seventh birthday to get a feel for how SHE feels at five:

• favorite color: all the rainbow colors
• favorite toy: puppy and peppa pig
• favorite t.v. show: peppa pig and tom & jerry
• favorite game: mario brothers and candy land
• favorite snack: fried cheese sticks
• favorite animal: puppy
• favorite holiday: christmas and easter
• favorite book: little house in the big woods, my bible, and goodnight moon
• favorite song: let it go
• what do you take to bed: puppy
• favorite food: fried cheese sticks
• favorite thing to do outside: swim at the pool
• what do you want to be when you grow up: a kid that has real wings that can fit through the door
• what are you most grateful for: mommy and puppy
• favorite part of the day: when reece comes home and playing with all my toys
• what makes you happy: my family
• what are you scared of: the dark
• what makes me special: because i’m thoughtful

To be part of her life EVERYDAY and watch her become her own person is one of the biggest joys of my life.

home is…five of the most rewarding years of my life.