happy birthday to libbers!

happy birthday to you...happy birthday to you...happy birthday dear elizabeth...happy birthday to you!

the bug cake...elizabeth helped me roll the starburst and cut out the dots. perhaps she has a future career in cake decorating...regardless, she thought it was beyond special to help decorate her cake. and i definitely enjoyed the time spent with my four year old!

dearest elizabeth...how can it be that you are four...that this moment 4 years ago i was just an hour away from meeting you and holding you in my arms. we didn't know if you were an elizabeth or a benjamin. we didn't know your eyes would be blue or your smile so dazzling. but God did. it is hard for me to believe how quickly time has passed by...how tall you are, how talkative, how incredibly smart, how beautiful. you are a blessing to us. you are our silly monkey...full of smirks and giggles and silly crazy grins...you are full of persuasive suggestions (and learning to use those abilities in wise rather than foolish ways!)...you have always had an amazing attention span and ability to focus...you are a delicate balance of timidity and fearless leadership. how amazing to think upon all the little details that make you "you". you are forever carrying around a stuffed friend...one week it is george, the next poppy-saurus-rex, the next your GG and Big Bapa bear. you have the most delightful little voice and the shrilliest shrieking scream (the same one when you are excited and when you are scared...which most upon means you have encountered a bug, and that makes it highly ironic that you requested a bug cake for your birthday!). your favorite time of the day is definitely "school time"...that hour or so of the afternoon when kate is napping, before your rest time, when you have mommy all to yourself...working on your letter-writing, reading stories, coloring, baking, playing games...it doesn't matter what we do, you simply savor that time (then again, maybe that is just because you know rest-time is coming and you need to savor those last moments beforehand). in the past months you have become quite obsessed with telling us about all of your friends as well...ellie and riley and miranda and, of course, best buddy brennan. as the biggest of the sisters you waver between being the boss and being the big helper. you love to get right in jillian's face and talk to her in your sweetest, sugary voice..."Hi baby girl...Hi Jillian...its okay..." you clearly adore your itty-bitty jillian sister. when you and kate play you like to make up all the rules and ensure that kate follows them; you waver between excitement that she is big enough to play with you and frustration that she is big enough to get into what you perceive as yours. and yet, at least a few moments of every day are filled with the beautiful music of you two laughing together or the sight of you sitting and reading to her or helping her learn to use the potty. someday, sweet girl, someday you are going to be one incredible mommy! but for now, stay four...enjoy four...run and jump...scoot your scooter...pedal your bike...giggle...jump in the big puddle in the parking lot rather than walking around it...carry your animal friends everywhere...savor the simplest delights of life...look at the world through innocent eyes...love God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and believe Him with the wonder only a child has...color outside of the lines...sing out of key and dance like a crazy woman without fear of what others might think...imagine...pretend...believe that a cardboard box is a mansion or a rocket...run to meet your daddy every afternoon and greet him with unfettered enthusiasm...kiss me on the cheek just because...look at the world in wide-eyed wonder. savor four...and mommy promises to do her very best to be four with you!

how amazing to be celebrating four years of your life...it seems just yesterday we were celebrated your third birthday with a trip to the museum and pumpkin train...and then with your choo-choo cake and party...and to think of your second birthday, pictures here..or way back to your first birthday with pictures here!

make a wish!

kater enjoyed the cake too!

opening your scooter from great grandpa ray and great grandma ethel...you actually pronounce this "shooter"...OR as you told your uncle nathan, its a "motorcycle"...he he!

playing with your "Tag" reader from mommy and daddy...

aunt jill, uncle nathan, and brennan celebrated with us

kate and elizabeth both LOVE uncle nathan...this time kate got to him with a book first!

mommy and "aunt" jill...aka...the best friend in the world...and look at the "present" jill made for me...my very own moby wrap. i already am a huge fan of it and have a feeling jillian will spend LOTS of time snuggled up in it...for many months to come!