7

Seven years ago I lay in a hospital bed. Tired, worn out, a little sore, and completely in love.

Seven years ago, my fourth child was born. Our third daughter. Our little Anne Marie.

Can it really have been 7 years ago that I had my 4th child? Really?

Time has flown by so fast that it frightens me to think about it. So of course, capturing it is essential.

We had a low key birthday for her this year. We have friend parties every other year. This was not a friend party year. Which, coming 3 days after Home Made Simple, I am really grateful it worked out that way.

Anne Marie wanted cupcakes. Bless her little heart. So I just HAD to make the AMAZING TOWER OF CUPCAKES!

Isn't Anne Marie beautiful?




Opening presents with her is a real treat. She gets REALLY excited about every gift. And she has her own unique way of thanking the giver:



Yeah, we each got jumped on as a thank you. It was awesome.

So. Here is my list of wonderful things about Anne Marie:

1. She is a consistently happy little thing. Truly.
2. She loves to play with others. And she is really good at it. Especially with younger children. You can usually find Anne Marie being followed around by an assortment of 2 and 4 year olds. I often call her the Pied Piper.
3. Anne Marie is amazingly creative. She can entertain herself for hours. Literally. Since she was little, I would go searching for her and find her in her room, playing quietly and happily. She has never once come to me and said she was bored.
4.She loves to help me. She would work along side me for hours.
5. She has probably slept with us more than any of the others. Even now, at seven years old, we will wake up with her in between us. I list this as a wonderful thing about Anne Marie because I love when my children crawl into bed with us. And so often they stop doing this as they get older. But not Anne Marie.
6.She is sassy. Again, I count this as a beautifully positive thing about her. It's who she is. It will be a strength for her, and I don't want to squash it. I want her to be honest and upfront. I think that is a gift to have in this life.
7.She has the craziest, most awesome laugh. Super loud and it can be heard for miles around. Seriously, she has a wonderfully unique laugh that is 100% pure joy and pure Anne Marie.
8.Anne Marie has more energy than anyone I know. She runs everywhere. From the fridge to the table to the couch to her bedroom to the back yard to give Daddy a hug when he gets home. She is always on the go.
9. She will try almost any food I put in front of her. She may not like it all, but she is always willing to try it. And for a mom of 6 kids, this is a blessing to me.
10. Anne Marie tells me all the time that she loves me. She loves me more than her toys, her bed, her friends and herself. Those are her exact words. And I must echo them.

I love you Anne Marie. More than my things, my bed, my friends or myself.

Happy Birthday Darling Girl!