another year gone

it seems just yesterday i was writing my post titled, "happy birthday, beautiful dreamer." and here we are again. another year has passed and you are now seven. you aren't a baby anymore, even though you will ALWAYS be mine. you are definitely in the "tween" stage, which is a day i thought we'd not see for a long time. you seem so old and wise and very much a girl and not so much a little kid.

you are now in first grade and at the top of your class. i'm glad that you love school and want to do well. you work hard and make sure that you get your work done. you don't always love doing homework, but i really can't say that i blame you there. you say your favorite subject is recess. but i know that you do the best in spelling and Bible verse memorization. you really are my child, even if you don't look like me so much.

i know we butt heads. i think that has to do with our having the same personality. i see myself in you and the looks in your eyes. it's crazy! i know that granny and poppy are secretly laughing that i really did have a child just like me. i KNOW poppy is since he mentions it at least once a week or so.

i am so proud of you. i don't think i say that enough. i am proud of how determined you are to be a good student. i am proud of how creative you are in the stories you tell and the drawings you create. i am proud of how you try at soccer, even if you aren't a natural athlete (and how it's obvious you're just having fun even if your team loses). i am proud of how you always at least try what i make for dinner, even if it really doesn't sound that good to you. i am proud of how kind you are to new children. i am proud of how you aren't afraid to be you.

i am grateful that God put you in our family. i can't imagine life without you. i can't imagine who would make me laugh every morning, even when i would rather be sleeping. i can't imagine what i'd do without my little monkey, always climbing trees. i can't imagine driving around without hearing, "louder, please?" because you love music just as much as i do. and i don't know who would put the sprinkles on my cupcakes. if you weren't here, my life would be a lot less exciting and fun.

thank you. you are my beautiful dreamer, my sweet adeline, my princess peekins and my monkey. you are mine. and for that, i thank God every day.

i love you. happy seventh birthday, sugarplum.