Ava's 5 Year Letter (picture overload, but you will be happy you looked at them, I know I loved it! 😉)

 Dear Ava,
It seems like just yesterday I was holding you in my arms for the first time.  I can no longer hold you like that anymore.  You are more than half my size now.  It is insane how quickly you grew from a tiny infant (if you consider 9lbs. 6 oz. tiny) into this beautiful 38 pound young girl.  Your daddy and I prayed and prayed for you.  There was a time I lost hope of ever having a baby.  BUT GOD.

God knew exactly what He was doing!  Shocker, I know, right?!  He knew exactly what we needed and when we needed it.  I wish I could take back those years where I didn't trust and lived in sadness and doubt.  When I found out I was pregnant with a baby I was the happiest I have ever been in my life.  I could not wait to meet you.  And I just knew you would be so special.  And you are.

You love God with such tender love.  You know how important He is and love to talk about Him.  Since you are only 5, you don't understand everything you need to or behave in the ways I know you know you should, but I know that your heart wants to know, love and serve God.  He is going to do great things through you.

He has made you a compassionate and caring sister.  Just the other day, your littlest sister who is showing signs of terrible two's, lost her mind and I left her screaming and throwing a fit in the parking lot of church.  You were crying because you were so worried about her safety.  I had to reassure you over and over again that I wouldn't have left her there if she were in danger.  The parking lot had no-one there and no-one coming.  And we were close to her.  (So don't think I abandoned my child in a busy, dangerous parking lot, please.  I would never do that.)

You love to help cook and the other day you wanted to help get the house clean for me when I came home because you know I love a clean home.

You work hard at your schoolwork and love to be around people.  You have always been so gracious as you have had to share toys since you can remember.  Last year we went to Disney World during your birthday.  You never once asked for a toy the entire week we were there.  The last day we let you pick out anything you wanted.  You picked the Cinderella Castle.  Well, of course, Sally wanted in on that and you have shared that with her lovingly and graciously ever since.

YOU are going to do GREAT things for GOD.  I just know it.  We are so very proud of you.  We love you so much.  You have blessed my life so much it can't be described.  I can't wait to watch you grow physically, socially, emotionally, but most importantly, in your relationship to Jesus Christ.

Always remember He is Number 1.  Always put Him first and serve Him only.  He loves you so.  And I thank God that He chose us to love you here on this earth.

Evelyn is 21 months

This month has been very fun and eventful.
Like that time you got to dress up in your Strawberry costume multiple times...

Or that time when you pretended to drive a tractor...

Or that time you played in the leaves...

Or that time you walked on hay bales...

Or that time you painted your pumpkin...

Or like when you had a blast running back and forth over a wooden bridge...

and like you went tumbling down the slide...😂😂

You are just a busy, busy girl who loves to have tons of fun.  You are a handful to watch wherever we go.  But I wouldn't trade your exuberance for life for nothing!  

You have been super clingy to me.  You want to be held. all. day. It is a daily reminder that this too shall pass and there will be no more holding you one day.  :(

You are a lover of fruit.  You especially love grapes, blueberries, bananas, clementines, oranges, pretzels, veggie chips and dried fruit. Everything else ends up on the floor or fed to the dog.

You like socks which you refer to as sockeys and you like shoes, especially your boots.  You also like to help get yourself dressed by pulling your pants up and getting your arms in your sleeves.  You love bath time, but not the getting-out-of-the-bath time.

You sleep all night and take one nap each day, except days like today where the time change has effected you and you were up at the crack of dawn.  By 9 am you were super cranky, in time-out twice, and needed a nap (you were practically begging for one as you continued to sabotage yourself).  So, days like that you also got a morning nap.

Since you like to be held all.the.time. you make getting school done with the other two kind of hard.  They can seem to tune you out.  I, on the other hand, cannot.  You also want nothing to do with anything "School-like".  You want to play destroy the playroom.  Your complete enthusiasm for destruction has me actually considering getting you boxes and paper for Christmas where you can have a grand 'ol time destroying and saving me money by not having to buy you something that you won't play with.

You do like to sit in your little rocking chair.  You do like to climb and sit on the table and steal your sister's food.  You like to climb the stairs and all over the couch.  You do like to climb onto the school table and undo all my organization.  You do like books, well you like ripping them off the shelves and sometimes ripping the books themselves.  :(

You have a favorite movie.  It use to be Beauty and the Beast (the new one).  Now it is Baby Boss.  You will randomly ask me throughout the day to watch it.  If the girls get to watch any tv that day and they choose something that isn't Baby Boss, you typically get pretty upset over it.

You wear mostly 18-24 month clothing.  You are wearing size 4 and 5 shoes.  You drink about 18 oz. of milk per day (usually).

You really are a lot of fun.  A lot of work.  But still a lot of fun.  I wouldn't want you to be any different.  I love you just the way you are.

We love you, Miss Evelyn Olivia.  God is so good.  You are such a gift to us.  May He put His fingerprints all over you and over all that you do.  And may you do it all for His glory.

Love,
Mommy
xoxoxo

Evelyn Olivia 19 months

Oh Evelyn!  I love you so much!  You are so much fun!  Busy as a bee, but sweet as can be.  I am smitten with you.  Truly.  This month you are really showing me that you are more of a toddler than a baby.  😥 In fact, today when we were getting your shoes on, you wanted to stand and hold on to my shoulder and lift your foot for me to put your shoe on.  There are other things that you are doing that show you are a toddler now.  You are getting dressed standing up now more than sitting down.  You are talking a lot.  You are listening to one and some two step directions.  You are pretty much down to one nap per day.  You know the basic fundamentals of our day.  You act as if you know your place in our family and you know you are loved.  💜💜  It is really quite special to see how you have formed your own little place in our family.  I, for one, am thankful you are a part of it!

You are talking and some words I definitely can make out are: no, all done, i "unt" (want) out, let go, shoes, cancake for pancake, iceceem, Sally Jean, mommy, daddy, bye bye, uh oh, Cinston for Winston, nighnite, diaper, play, and I am pretty sure you said "mommy, watch" while jumping on the trampoline.

You love your horsey, bath times, fruit, and all and anything sweet, car rides, music, Beauty and the Beast movie (the new one),  playing at church, playing outside, playing at friends, playing 😂😬, climbing, stealing other peoples food, climbing the stairs,  stealing your sisters drinks, reading books.  Some of your favorite books are The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Brown Bear Brown Bear.

You do not like being confined, getting your nose sucked out (and believe me, it isn't the highlight of my day either! 🤢 You don't like it when you are snuggling and one of your sisters comes to join us.  You don't like peanut butter and jelly, chicken, veggies.  You actually aren't liking a lot of food right now unless it is mac and cheese, fruit or some sort of carb.

You wake up every morning by 7:30, but I usually leave you in there until 8:00.  You never fuss about that.  You just play and talk to yourself in your bed.  You eat breakfast.  You like to have fruit, breakfast bar and french toast the best in the morning.  You play and play and play and get into things, then stuff, and then more things.  You usually have the playroom torn up by 9:00 and then you do some more tearing into things.  By noon, you have lunch with some goldfish thrown in there in between breakfast and lunch.  You like to do whatever your sisters do after lunch and then you go down for a nap for about 2 hours.  After nap, we all better hope you have woken up on your own.  Otherwise we are prepared for a groucho.  If you wake up on your own, you are pretty pleasant and will eat.  I usually have to make sure dinner is on your tray before you come down.  You do not like to wait for your food.  😡😡  If we wake you from your nap you are a beast.  I am prepared to either not eat dinner because you just want to be held or be able to eat with you on my lap nestled up against me.  Honestly, I don't mind the grouchiness, because it means snuggle time for mommy.  😍
Shortly after dinner and some play time, you go to bed around 8-8:30.

You are wearing 18- 24 month clothing, mostly.  You drink about 18 ounces of whole milk per day (mostly).  You are weighing around 21 lbs.  You seem to prefer using your left hand...we will see if that changes. Your eyes are a deeper blue.  Your nails grow at a ferocious speed.  You wear size 3 and 4 shoes.  You are happiest when you are exploring and grumpiest when you are tired and/or hungry.

We all really just love you.  You are quite the blessing...more than I could have ever imagined.  I am one lucky mommy to have such preciousness surrounding me day after day.  You are going to be a force for God.  I pray your joyful spirit will abound and overflow onto others.

xoxox
Mommy