5 for 5

To my sweet, sweet girl,

Tomorrow you turn 5. I can't say I know where time went or how it happened so fast but, here we are on the eve of your birthday. I looked at you this morning and was amazed at how big you suddenly look. There's hardly a trace of those sweet baby cheeks I loved so much. There's still those gorgeous doe eyes that have always stopped my heart in an instant but, you've lost so much of that baby-ness.

In honor of you, I'm giving you 5 things I love about you. 1 for every year you've changed our world.

1) How strong willed you are. You know if you don't like something and you feel strongly about it, you'll let the world know. You're so sure of what you like and don't like. There's no reasoning with you or changing your mind. Some days, it frustrates me but, it's part of what makes you wonderfully you.

2) How crazy beautiful you truly are. Not just in looks but, in how free spirited you are. You don't have to match, you're proud of your hearts and polkadot combinations. Who cares if your orange socks don't match your green shirt, you're rocking them anyway. Even at 5, you have this incredible sense of who you are. You'll proudly bang your drum and march to it's beat, even if the rest of the world is waltzing.

3) Your big beautiful brown eyes. They've saved you from big trouble so many times. You just look at us and our hearts melt. You've used it to your advantage but really, nobody minds at all. You really could melt a heart just by being you.

4) How gentle you are with animals. You loved anything with fur. You don't care that FP smells, you'll let him climb in your lap and just love on him. You love to help give them treats and smother them with hugs and kisses.

5)How emotionally aware you are. You're not afraid to have a melt down if you feel some great injustice has been done to you. You're so gentle to your brother when he's had a bad day. You want all the love and hugs and kisses we can give you. You've never been much of a snuggler but, you've never got a shortage of love.

Happy birthday to you sweet girl. Stay wild and free and true to yourself. We love you forever, as much as the stars.