5 Year Old Girl

She is always ready to make us laugh

Lovin' on Daddy - even from across the world!

Her birthday shirt - and her beautiful smile

Nobody can turn down presents!

Me and my girl - Birthday Brunch at the Broken Yolk

My sweet baby girl is five...

Today we got to spend the day together, just the two of us, and I realized how fast she's growing up. As she reaches for her independence, she continues to show the same amazing traits that I've seen in her since the day she was born. She is a beautiful girl with the grace that few others can match. When she dances, her legs look so strong and her toes point so beautifully at the end. When she plays soccer, she can run faster than anyone else on the field. She does not allow herself to be less than perfect and when she sees an opportunity to grow, she will challenge herself. She is an artist and nothing seems to stifle her creativity. She still does not seem to embrace any threats to her physical safety. If something strikes fear in her, she will often choose a different activity. The broken down tricycle remains the preferred method of transportation even though her shiny pink two wheeler is parked next to it. She is the life of the party and she often works to remind us that she is now, and intends to remain, the center of attention.

While she is bold and fearless in many things, she has a timid heart that makes mine melt. We were at the bookstore today, which is one of her favorite places to be, and she lost sight of me for a moment. She did not cry or complain, but she quickly found me and held on to my hand tighter than I recall her doing for quite some time now. She asked me, "Where were you, Mommy?" I assured her that I was watching her the whole time and that I will never let anything happen to her. She gave me the sweetest little kiss on the cheek and asked for lunch to let me know that she had moved past the doubt.

We shared a brownie at a table outside of the bookstore and we enjoyed a quiet afternoon together. She was dressed in her Ariel costume and she certainly enjoyed it when the other grandparents in the store stopped to tell her how beautiful she is. She asked to go to Build-A-Bear and I obliged. She knew that we would not be buying anything but she enjoyed picking out accessories and outfits for quite a while and begrudgingly declined the basket that someone offered her because she knew that none of the treasures were going to leave the store.

My little girl is growing up and that's equally amazing to my mind and hard on my heart. I pray for her to keep her character and confidence while she explores the world and continues to grow even faster than she does today. I pray to keep the easy love I share with her so that she knows that while friends become increasingly important, I am still here to love and guide her along the way. I pray for her to find a way to nurture her gifts because she has so many of them and I have faith that the years will bring joy to her life while adding pride to mine.

I love you sweet girl...

Panther Pride

Is there any debate that Justin MIGHT be excited about finally playing football? After he left practice on Friday night, he rode home dressed head to toe in his football gear. Since he got to ride in the front seat, he claims he wore his shoulder pads for "extra safety" and that if Dad were driving, he would have been wearing his helmet too! We came home and made dinner, which was eaten while wearing shoulder pads, and then he put his helmet back on to watch TV. He eventually got out of his gear, folded it neatly in a pile near his bag, and then headed upstairs for bed.

It's been very hard to watch Justin sit out this season due to the broken arm but I know that he's learned so much more about sports and life through the process than he ever could have by doing drills. With that said, he gets to play next weekend and I am over the moon about it because, after all of this bench sitting and "water boy" duty, it's certainly time! He has been very patient and I do not remember a single complaint about having to sit on the sideline that went beyond, "It's a bummer...I can't wait to PLAY!" My appreciation goes out to his coaches who have welcomed him, taught him from the sidelines, chatted with him about his Dad, and helped him understand that he's a valuable part of the team even while he can't play.