Each year Zach and I write birthday letters to each of our children. I go through and find all the photos of us alone with the birthday child to include in our letters. I think this will be something each of the kids will truly cherish as they grow up and I love the chance to reflect back on the year and think about my hopes for the year to come!
Here’s my letter to Britt on her 6th Birthday!
Dear Britt,
We always joke about the moment you were born. How you had a LOUD, piercing cry and we said “ugh oh we are in trouble with this one!” And it’s true, you weren’t what I’d call an “easy baby.” But the wonderful thing about that? Is that each year with you has only gotten better and better! Every year I feel like you and I grow closer and I love seeing you grow and change and develop into an even more incredible young lady!
You are such a shining light. I sing “you are my sunshine” to you and it’s true: you are a ray of sunshine to ALL who meet you. You light up every room you enter and your smile is truly contagious. You care so much about others and their happiness. You have a tender, compassionate heart and you pray so earnestly for people you don’t even know (I love how you always say “please help those who don’t know you God to come to know you”).
This year you’ve truly grown right before my eyes. You went from looking like a preschooler to looking like you could be going into middle school! You have such an athletic build and such beautiful features. You are one of those people who wake up just looking gorgeous and have a natural beauty that shines from within. You love doing makeup and having me do your hair in a variety of styles every day. I love that you enjoy “girly things” but hope you always continue to have that confidence you have right now. You are BEAUTIFUL and I always want you to know that and feel that way about yourself!
I love the current stage you are in where you want to be JUST like me. It makes my heart so incredibly happy as my goal is to be the type of mom you do grow up to admire. I love our closeness and that you want to have that bond with me. Your face lights up so bright when we style our hair the same way or wear coordinating outfits. You’re proud to have me as your mom and that makes me feel so special and thankful. I know as you continue to grow up we will only strengthen that bond. We love talking about all of the girl’s trips we’ll take when you’re an adult 😉 Can’t wait for your husband and Daddy to keep the kids so we can have our get aways!
This past year we made so many memories together. Disney trips, the beach, and just quality girl time getting coffee. I try so hard to pour as much fun and memory making as I can into our routines and I love seeing you smile and to watch you have fun! We’ve had our fair share of real life stuff going on and it’s nice to be able to escape that reality at times. You are always concerned about Daddy’s health and pray for his brain nightly. You also prayed so hard for “Tab” and always said “please don’t let the birth mother change her mind.” You have a heart for others. When Silas went to Heaven it really affected you and it is still something you talk about. When we talk about Heaven you always say “and we’ll get to see Silas there!”
This year was a BIG year for you! You’re learning to read, have mastered Speech, started kindergarten, and lost you first tooth. You’re growing up before our eyes! You LOVE learning (and like to tell me that on a regular basis ha!) and you have a passion for friendship. You are doing SO amazing at school. I was nervous for you to be at public school this year (Kye didn’t go until 1st grade) but you have loved it and love being there with him and riding the bus together. You are a social butterfly and make friends wherever you go. It’s important to me to help guide you in that path of friendship. I pray you use your magnetic personality to be an includer and a leader and to lead others to Christ. I hope you are always kind and continue to love everyone the way you do!
You love being the “middle child” and get upset when talking about how you aren’t technically in the middle now that Spear is here. You love having both an older sibling and younger siblings. It’s so neat to see you being in both rolls. You follow Kye around everywhere and want to be just like him but at the same time get annoyed when Tess follows you around and copies everything you do! Tess has really become your best buddy and you play so well together (with a few arguments too!). I LOVE watching the two of you together and pray you are always the best of friends. You’re so blessed with such awesome siblings and it’s so important to me to raise you all to have each other’s backs and always be there to support each other throughout your entire lives!
You have really found your passion with gymnastics. You LOVE it and would live and breathe it all day long if you could. I admire that about you! I’ve never personally had a passion like that (at least not until I became a mama) and it’s SO awesome seeing you love something that much. You work at it and do your very best and it was such a big moment of pride when you advanced to the intermediate class! We’re so proud of you and just love seeing you doing something you truly enjoy! While your passion may not always be gymnastics, I hope you do always have something you love in this same way. It’s such a wonderful outlet and something that is JUST yours which is super special!
I’m so proud of your personal growth this year. You complain less, whine less, and are much more adventurous in your eating. You do SO much better with trying food AND are quick to say how much you like things now too. You still have your more “pessimistic moments” but are truly coming a long way in seeing the world through a glass half full outlook. I want you to find the JOY and appreciate the blessings in life and it’s been so awesome seeing these positive changes as you grow closer to the Lord and learn more about Him. I truly believe the two go hand in hand! You love Jesus and you LOVE this life He’s blessed us with!
You are so kind and thoughtful and just want everyone to be happy around you. You’re content in sitting back and watching others shine. You love just watching Kye do things he enjoys. I can see you being a planner like me as I’m that same way. I love making plans and then seeing others enjoy them and you’re that same way! Fun for you is when everyone is happy!
You are my outdoorsy child. You LOVE to play outside. You LOVE to swim. You LOVE to swing (and have learned to swing yourself!). You have SO much energy and going outside is a great way for you to get it out! You do NOT really ever play with toys. I’m trying to convince you to stop getting toys for gifts at all because all they do is sit unopened and unplayed with. You’re hard to buy for in that way because you appreciate and LOVE everything, but really use very few toys. Your room is always spotlessly clean because you never play with anything!
Often times I find myself eager and excited for the next phase of things but right now I’m just enjoying and appreciating this phase with you. It’s my favorite yet and I’m in no rush for the years ahead. I know we’ll have so much fun in the year of 6 and I plan to focus on a lot of quality time together with you. The larger our family gets, the more that quality time is really important and special.
I am so proud of you and proud to be your mom. You are incredible. Smart, funny, thoughtful, sweet, and beautiful. You are going to make such a positive impact on this world my sweet girl! You will lead many people to love God the way you do and I cannot wait to see all you will achieve as you grow up! I’m so honored to get to be beside you through it all and it is my goal as your mom to lead you on that path through life. I pray you always look to me for guidance and that we’re able to be the very best of friends when you enter adulthood.
I’m so thankful you are MY GIRL! My first daughter. My special second born. Thank you for being mine! Happy Birthday to my first princess. You are my sunshine, I love you!
~Mommy
My other letters to Britt for her birthday:
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