birthday girl

Yesterday was my middle child's birthday. She is now four years old. What a difference two and a half years make!! See for yourself...

This is the first picture I took of her. She was eating a cupcake and loved the icing! :) She was 16 months old. Still a baby, but I can see all the personality in her eyes! :)

This was her second birthday. She was growing so much and most definitely went through the "terrible two's" stage. For a while, it seemed she was sitting on the "naughty steps" several times a day. Some days she wore me out, but when she wasn't wearing me out, she was cracking me up!

This was from last year when she turned three. Her face was beginning to look not quite as babyish and she was no longer the baby in the family by this time.

Now she is four. She has reached so many milestones in the two and a half years that I have been here. She is a great big sister and loves her baby brother so much. She and her older sister are best friends and play together very well (ok, most of the time anyways!). :) She is still full of personality and still cracks me up, and thankfully, trips to the "naughty steps" are MUCH less frequent!

I love the way she is eager to "talk to Jesus" before every meal. The way she will sing songs from our "butterfly cd" (Steve Green's Hide'Em In Your Heart CD) while she's playing. The way she loves to dress up in her princess dresses and dance to SCC's Cinderella song. The way she wrinkles her nose when she grins her silly grin and how much expression she can convey in those big, blue eyes!

Middle child, you are growing so fast but for now, I will remember to enjoy giving you "daily squeezes" as you and your sister call them and reading books with you snuggled up on my lap. So happy birthday, my middle child! I'm so glad God has brought you into my life and I can't imagine not getting to see you every morning. I will always be praying that you will continue learning about Jesus and how much He loves you and that you will grow up to love Him and bring Him glory in all that you do. I love you! :)