Tradition!

Here's the birthday wreath the girls helped me make for Matt's birthday.

We'll hang it before and after anyone's birthday in our house.

I love how colorful it is.

(And I can't take credit for the idea- I saw it on a crafty blog....

but so easy to make!)

Happy Birthday, Lucy!!

Today's my baby girl's birthday.

Lucy is such a joy to our family, and she completes us!

I love to see how her mind works as she processes and interprets things around her.

She's a girl with her own flair- someone who (ahem) definitely knows what she likes

and what she doesn't like.

Lu, you challenge me as a mom- which is a good thing.

You wouldn't go to ANYONE but me from the time you were four months old until almost three years old. You would wear shorts and flip flops ALL YEAR LONG. You don't like chocolate (I'm hoping you grow out of that one). As a toddler, you wouldn't take anything other than milk. Now you're a water kid. Your sisters are your best friends.

I love to hear you sing (you do a great Lady Gaga),

watch you enjoy reading more and more,

and see you walk hand in hand with your sisters.

You have the world's tiniest mouth, but when you smile, it lights up a room.

I'm so blessed to have you in our family!!

Happy 5th birthday, Lucy!!

My baby is 4!

From this.....

To this....in the blink of an eye.

Time for Jillian

Okay, Marleah had her birthday, and Jillian's is quickly following. It's only fair that I find pics of the middle child to commemorate her big day this year...

Jillian is definitely the second child. We named her Jillian Faith, because it goes hand in hand with her older sister's middle name, Hope (that, and my patriarchal blessing keeps telling me over and over to have Faith...so I did).

Jill is delightfully different- she rolls with the punches, knows how to get away with more things, and is always talking.

For Christmas, I made her a "What If..?" notebook, because she constantly is wondering about all the What If's in life....

What If the whole world were underwater and we had to ride huge sea turtles to school?.....

What If Daddy was bigger than our house- where would he sleep?
What If I never had homework ever again, and Marleah had homework every single day?

(Her school teacher believes Jillian will be an author someday- I hope so!!)