Today's the day! Our girl is another year older! Our sweet, caring S is growing up, and makes us so proud. Not only is she a stellar student, excelling in every subject, and particularly soaring in reading and writing, she loves art, music, and staying active outdoors. S is discovering new interests, such as cooking, creating, and gardening. She loves to swim, draw and paint, and loves playing and dressing up.

S is a caring child, wanting fairness and inclusivity for all. Social justice advocacy may be her calling. She says she wants to be a teacher or a nurse when she grows up, because she loves helping people. She is an amazing sister, and loves helping to care for her baby sister, C. She still loves playing with her big brother, and really looks up to him. She is always quick to help and does so with a smile. She rarely argues, is developing her own sense of style, and is perfectly content to spend an afternoon reading.

S is a blessing to our family, and makes us want to be better people and parents.

We can't wait until this weekend, when we get to celebrate her birthday with a few friends at the American Girl store. S even has a salon appointment to get her ears pierced! I'll follow up with a party report next week!

We're gearing up for a fun family celebration tonight. The birthday girl's choice for dinner is chicken wings, homemade potato chips, and ice cream cake. Yum! I can't wait to see her face when she opens her gifts, too.