{four}

it is official...my kater-gator is four. wow! we shared in a sweet, quiet celebration...friday i took the "almost" birthday girl (it was the day before) out for a date...lunch at the pizza hut buffet, a haircut, and a garage sale (at her request--and, where she picked out a "spiderman" t-shirt for herself...oh how delighted that made her). we had such a sweet, sweet time....what a blessing to be able to spend a long chunk of one on one time with my girl. and, i must admit, i am LOVING her new haircut...it SO fits her personality...spunky and fun. AND, bonus for me, she no longer screams bloody murder when i try to brush it or do something with it...it is, literally, wash and go!

unfortunately siblings were sick...which meant nothing big as a family, but we did enjoy some time riding bikes, playing play-doh on the back porch, and partaking in the birthday girl's dinner request...grapes, strawberries, popcorn chicken nuggets, and macaroni and cheese ("not your homemade kind, mommy, the good stuff from the box"...i might have been crushed...if she wasn't four...lol!)...and strawberry pretzel dessert in lieu of cake. YUM! :) (note that the birthday girl is wearing pjs for dinner and cake...that is SO appropriate...i think kate would LIVE in jammies...especially her long, fuzzy tinkerbell ones...even if it was 90+ degrees out!)

kate...you are a blessing to us. you remain completely spunky and funny. you have grown so much this year...in maturity, in size, in knowledge. you love to spend time writing your name, coloring endless pictures, loving on luke, trying to get jilly to play by your rules ;), imagining with elizabeth. you never cease to amaze me. as lively and spunky as you are at home you can become completely shy in a crowd. at sunday school you LOVE to be right next to the teacher (and you always are especially pleased if the teacher is miss tillie or miss tammi)...but it has been a blast watching you come into your own and discover your very own friends. (but what a blessing that you and elizabeth can also share so many friends!).

kate, you are intense in all that you do...the way you laugh...the way you cry. you are intense in your focus...you are intense in your distraction. dear, sweet girl, i pray that God would use that intensity for His glory...that He would call your heart to Him...that you would walk closely and intensely with Him all of the days of your life. i cannot wait to see what He has in store for you!