Our daughter is SEVEN!!

As is tradition, I like to reflect on the big year to celebrate birthdays.  Sometimes I find incredible pictures of big events- and sometimes I find the ones that are just our everyday life!  It is remarkable to me to think about the big year our daughter has had.  Only six days after turning six, she moved to a new state- ready to live in a new town, a different house, make new friends, start kindergarten... the list could go on and on!  This girl takes on change quite impressively.  I am proud of her and thankful that she is learning early how to adjust to new situations.  So, without further adieu-  The year she was six...

 Here she is at a campground.  This was the first time she and I were brave enough to camp by ourselves somewhere other than our backyard.  It was hot, and it rained, and there were BIG daddy-long-legs crawling all over the outside of the tent in the morning- but we had a great time!

 Here she is standing in front of her classroom.  We got to tour the school a few days early so she could get a better feeling about the school.  She went from an elementary school of  500 JK-5th to 1200 K-5.

 Here she is on her first day of school- sporting her awesome twinkle toe shoes and her LL Bean Backpack.  She picked this outfit out herself at the mall.

 Living multiple hours closer, it was great to spend some time with the grandparents!  Above is a picture of her with Andy's parents.  Below is a picture with my parents.  The kids sure adore their Grandmas and Grandpas!

 A. got to dance at the halftime of a football game!  She had so much fun!

 We had our own photo shoot one day.  Can you believe I used to wear that sweater!  Also- the light shining through the trees makes her jeans look fascinating!

The girls!

 Christmas 2012

 Daddy got to go to GEMS with A for a Daddy-Daughter Cowboy Party!

 Easter 2013

 April 8 we discovered that A. would benefit from glasses.  Boy was I surprised when I received an email at school saying she had picked out the hot pink and black glasses!

 This spring we signed her up for soccer.  Her team had 8 kids and four were on a field at a time- allowing for lots of playing time and lots of opportunities to be around the ball!  It was 3 nights a week but she really enjoyed it.  We signed her up for fall soccer as well!

 A. requested an ocean theme cake this year.  I think she really liked a unit they did at school about animals and aquariums!

 Because we were celebrating her birthday while on vacation, I made the cake a week ahead of time and we ate it with our small group from church.

 She had a great day turning 7!  We went on multiple slides and did some swimming at the waterparks, we went on a family bike ride, we saw the movie MONSTERS U, and she enjoyed this monster complimentary birthday dessert at the restaurant!  Thankfully she was willing to share some with us!  We had a fun day together to celebrate her birthday!

My darling Annabelle (her nickname I give her sometimes),
Oh what a treasure you are.  I want to share how impressed I am at your abilities as a big sister.  You are so great at playing with him, reading to him, helping translate for him, and encouraging him.  I can tell how much he adores you.  I love that you guys are sharing a room right now by choice.  I hope that as you continue to grow older- on into adult-hood, that your friendship continues to grow. 

I also want to put in here how proud I am of your work at school.  Your kindergarten teacher raved about you- how hard to work, how committed you are to learn new things and not give up, and how well you listen.  Your reading is phenomenal.  You love to read- and you do!  I enjoy hearing you read to me and I like seeing you with your nose in your book reading to yourself.  I also enjoy making lunch knowing you are reading your brother's favorite stories while you wait for it to be ready!  Reading was challenging for you when you started- you began by working with the rainbow coded sight words "can, go, saw, she..." and then you just took off!  Way to go!  I hope you will always see that even when things get difficult (be it in a subject in school, interactions with friends, a job, or your family) that you will see how you sometimes have to work hard to get it.  I also see you are finding that prayer is helpful during the tough times too.

As our summer nears an end and you will soon be entering first grade, I want to again share my hopes that you will continue to be kind and friendly to all kids in your class- the ones you hope to be best friends with and the ones you aren't sure you see as a potential friend.  The world needs people who smile and encourage others.  I look forward to seeing what you become passionate about- soccer, dance, biking, singing...  the world is available to you- pursue your dreams go for it!  :)

Love you lots and lots,
Mom