Sierra is ONE!

I have no idea where the past year went, nor what happened to that sweet 10 lb. 6 oz., not so little newborn that was placed in my arms! It is hard to imagine our family without this precious little girl. I love her sweet smile that she generously shares with others. I love her love for her daddy and how she grabs for him whenever he is near by. I've loved watching her learn how to do everything as quickly as possible in order to keep up with her siblings. I love that she is FINALLY saying mama, at least sometimes :)

She is so funny. Since she got new toys on her birthday, she has been very protective of those toys. Whenever the other kids play with them, she grabs for them and yells ;) Yes, she is a sinner just like the rest of us, but precious non-the-less! She loves anything made into the shape of a Popsicle, tomatoes, and really, most anything she can put in her mouth. She tries to put everything into her mouth. My other kids never did that, but Sierra definitely likes to use her sense of taste to examine the outside world. When she's tired she sings herself to sleep. When her sister sings, she claps along. She cries as loud as she can when she is left in the nursery. We're working on that.

Yes, we are blessed!

Kaiyah

Umm, where did this little girl come from and what did she do with my baby? Seriously, it seems like over night Kaiyah grew into a little girl. Her favorite saying right now is, "I a three year old. I can do it all myself." Sometimes this is a good thing, sometimes not so much :)

So often these days I find my heart just filled and over flowing with gratitude from all God has blessed me with. I love my family so much. I love being the mom to Kaiyah. I love to hear her giggle with delight. I love it when she looks over at me and says, "I do love you." I love eavesdropping on all the conversations she has with her toys, or really any object she happens to decide to play with. I love to watch her friendship with Zeke and Sierra grow.

Last year at this time she would pitch fits when forced to wear dresses. This year, she wears them with delight, and exclaims, "I am SOOOO pretty!" She is smart, picking up on a lot of the stuff Zeke is learning in school. She loves to go treasure hunting with her daddy.

Yes, my baby is definitely growing up. And you know, I wouldn't change it. Sometimes I look at pictures like the one I just posted, and think, awww, I don't have much time left with my little girl (Yes, I'm the one who has already shed tears thinking about my kids going off to college. Hey, it's a big deal when you live thousands of miles away from where they will move to), but I wouldn't change it because I know the years to come have just as many fun stages and memories. I think I'll just work on treasuring the blessings God gives in each and every day!