Six Already

I’ve had six year’s of practice. You think I’d be prepared by the fact that my daughter’s birthday is four days after Independence Day. And I was better this year, but still. I think in my brain I still expect her birthday to be closer to her due date than the holiday. But this is Sarah we’re talking about. She has an opinion about everything, including what day her birthday will be.

We started off the celebrations at Grandma Wilson’s house the Sunday before her birthday. Sarah always enjoys hanging out with her cousins (and her aunt, Tawnie, who was in town for the holiday weekend).

You can’t really see her face, but there’s a little crinkle in her eye that shows her absolute delight at getting this big bag of M&Ms from her uncle.

And some of her little brother.

This is him running into the kitchen demanding and begging for some ice cream. Repeatedly. “I want some ice cream.” He’s a little persistent sometimes.

By a happy coincidence, Timothy’s sixth-grade graduation and Ryan’s birthday fell on the same day, so Jared and I took the day off. So when Sarah’s birthday came around, she expected the same treatment. (I wasn’t planning on taking it off, but since i had the time and it was quiet enough at work, I managed to pull it off, much to her enjoyment.)

We went out shooting with the family (here’s a sneak peek; more photos will follow, but if you want to see them now, you can see them here).

After that, we came home and had some lunch and then went to the rec center to go swimming (a specific Sarah request); she loves to go swimming, but she’s still not a fan of getting sprayed on. We’re working on it, but it’s a slow process. She does love the indoor slides. She can go on them all by herself (they are a zero entry splash down), and as soon as we get to the bottom (I usually go before her), she is always asking to go again.

We came home from the pool to make dinner and enjoy some time with Grandma and Grandpa Lawrence. Ryan had fun playing with Grandma while we were making dinner.

Sarah was, perhaps, a little excited to open her presents.

And her favorite treat: ice cream. (We’re not big cake eaters around here.)

Ryan’s too.

Sarah is our little sweetheart. She’s very curious about the world and is always asking, “what if” questions. She also loves to play with her brothers and loves to sing if no one is listening or watching. She loves to be read to (even when she can read it too), and loves to cuddle. Some of her favorite foods right now are mac and cheese, yogurt, ice cream and apples (usually with peanut butter). She also holds a special place in her heart for Hawaiian pizza and M&Ms. And she’s my girl - she loves fun dresses and nail polish and having bows and flowers in her hair. But, she is also so very stubborn. (My mom and dad are laughing at me.) When she giggles and smiles, it’s the best thing in the world. We love our little Sarah.