What I Love Most Today is Gwyneth....

Today my oldest daughter, Gwyneth is nine years old.  I love having her as a daughter.  She is one of a kind.  This morning we had her birthday breakfast and as we all sat together we each took a turn telling what we "love about Gwyneth."

Georgia begged to go first and said, "What I love most about Gwyneth is that she plays with me."  It's true, Gwyneth does play with her and if Georgia could pick anyone to to be glued to, it would be her big sister, Gwyneth.

I was next and I said, "what I love most about Gwyneth is her intelligence and that she is happy with who she is."  I do love this most about her.  She has never been one to follow.  She likes what she likes and sticks with it.  She has her own mind and she's really clever.  I think I admire this about Gwyneth because it's not something that comes naturally for me.  She just seems really comfortable in her own skin.  It's a great quality about her.

Shane went next and when I asked him what he loved most about Gwyneth he said, "she's sissy."  Cute.

Reece went next and said, "What I love most about Gwyneth is that she is kind to me."  Tis true.  Remember Gwyneth and Reece are really good friends.  They share a special bond for sure.

Kalen was next and said, "What I love about Gwyneth is that she plays with us, meaning "us boys."  Yep, she sure does.  She's totally dynamic.  She can be a princess by day and a wrestling maniac by night.  She doesn't let inhibitions stop her from getting right in there with her brothers.

We had a great day today.  Very busy, we had lots of family over and it was their piano recital this evening as well.  Here are a few pictures from over the years.  It's so fun to look back....

(What is this babies having babies?)

This is my dear friend Marie holding her new baby Lila.  The two girls are about two weeks apart.

The little girl on the side of my bed is Marie's oldest daughter Emry.   Wow, this seems so long ago.

Kalen loved baby Gwyneth.

This is their first Easter picture I sent out.

Gwyneth swam really early and she looooooves the water.

This is such a crack up and is so typical of Kalen and Gwyneth, it's like a love hate relationship.  Here is the love.

Here is the hate.....

And the love again.  :)

Gwyneth is getting big and knows how to pose...

This is Gwyneth's BFF, Lily VanTuyl.  Can you believe these two girls are still attached at the hip?  I consider it a huge blessing that my children have had a couple of close friends through their childhoods so far.

This is at Tahoe, one of Gwyneth's favorite places.

Ballet for the first time and last...

Gwyneth has a sister, Georgia.

In this regard Gwyneth is a lot like me.  As she gets older she can be really playful and almost rough.  Like I said she is very dynamic, rough one minute and "lady like," the next minute.

Here she is wrestling with Kalen.  This is what he loves most about her.

She loves the Tums.  These two look like twins sometimes.

This is a princess that Georgia drew on Gwyneth's wrapping today, so cute.

I love this picture because Georgia is just opening Gwyneth's gift with her and it's like second nature.  I tell you, kids with sibling are so well adjusted!  I can only imagine what I would have done if someone tried to open my presents with me when I was Gwyneth's age.  (Remember I was an only child until I was 13.).

I refer to Gwyneth as Gwyneth.  I love her name, I rarely call her Gwen, but her dad calls her this.  She goes by both, but she says she prefers Gwyneth.  She has a passion for reading, I'm not exaggerating.  It borders on obsessive.  She plays tennis, piano and is doing taekwondo.  She also loves everything girly, dress up, dolls, and babies.  She is currently really enjoying sewing.  She made herself an apron, and makes pillows for her dolls.  Her favorite thing is to embellish things with buttons.

I have a lot of hopes for Gwyneth.  She is an incredible girl. I'm blessed to be her mom, to grow and learn from such a sweet spirit.  Happy Birthday.   What I Love Most Today is Gwyneth.