three!

our amazing little love turned three on sunday. three!

there's something about three...it seems so much older than two. i have to admit that i felt a bit teary on our little one's last day as a two-year-old. although some days feel so long, these sweet years seem to be passing too quickly.

she was so excited for her birthday this year! papa (jeremy's dad) was here from california for her birthday, so that made the day extra special for all of us.

there was a special birthday donut for breakfast (the sprinkles were all licked off first, kid-style). 

three tulips from daddy (per tradition...each year he gets her the number of flowers of the age she is turning...he's such a great daddy).

there was a special mama-made button to wear to church.

a mama-decorated cake (we made the cake together the day before). this girl is into anything that has wheels, and the construction themed cake was a real hit! we had a few friends over to share cake and celebrate our girl with us.

there were some new puzzles, a new game, and a few other fun new activities.

we ended the day with homemade pizza and watched the movie "cars". she loved it and it was a fun end to the day.

so much has happened in the past three years, yet in some ways, march 17, 2010 seems like it was just yesterday.

it has been such a joy to watch love grow from a baby into a little girl. she is sweet, witty, incredibly bright and intelligent. she keeps us laughing, tells us she loves us as we tuck her into bed, and loves to sing. she has really started to hold up her end of conversations, and often initiates conversations with us. she has an incredible memory and often shocks us with what she remembers or knows. she usually asks politely for things ("pretty please mommy?"), and she exercises her dramatic side numerous times a day. she loves trains, school buses, construction equipment, legos, "gummies", butterflies, books, snowmen, and ballerinas. she loves her little brother and {usually} makes him laugh. he looks up to her and follows her around during the day. she still sleeps in a crib (we will see how long we can keep that up!) with a washcloth in each hand and the little blue stuffed bunny that her daddy used to sleep with when he was little.

love is such a delight and we love her so very much...more than words could ever say. we thank God everyday for her life and her place in our family.

as we currently have written on the chalkboard in our kitchen, "the Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy!"

love must have thought that her birthday was a lot of fun, because she informed me the next day that she was ready for another birthday. not so fast, girly! this mama can't handle another birthday for at least a year! four can take it's time in coming.