lil' miss c.

we celebrated our lil' miss yesterday. she turned TWO. i can't believe it. well, kinda can't believe it. because she acts like she's 16 sometimes {yes, already!} yet i feel like this last year absolutely FLEW by. 

 

saturday we took the littles to the dallas zoo. she loved every second of it. loved looking for all the animals. loved watching them. loved laughing at them. 

she's super funny. she makes jokes. plays hide & seek at the most inopportune times. starts peek a boo games in the car out of no where. she cracks herself up, and makes b. laugh his head off too. she falls down in the middle of the floor and she sings to herself. she spins in circles singing. she sings to her babies. she is going to take after her daddy.

she loves her big brother. adores him. {how is she two?} they've been playing really well together lately. so thankful for that. {as they yell at each other over her new stroller in the background as i type this...} they are friends. i love that.

daddy is super special to her. we are soaking up this time with him. and i am so grateful for their special relationship. she talks on the phone with him like a teenager. she gets the phone and walks away. she sits down in a chair and crosses her legs and uses her hands as she talks. i love it.

she's just now named her babies. so far we have baby bella, baby harper {hoppa} and baby bubba. and she wants different ones at different times. no idea why. this is normal, right?

i am challenged by having a daughter. that she follows me everywhere. mimicks me. tries to do things like me. that's a big "lets-step-back-and-reevaluate-my-life" moment. she's going to learn how to be a mom from me. she's going to learn how to cook from me. to be a home maker. how to be a wife. how to be a friend. how to talk about others. how to treat others. how to serve others. mostly from me. don't get me wrong - i want the influence on her - i don't want media or society or even good friends to have that same influence on her. but it's a challenge. convicting. something i pray about often.

Lord, show me how to love her so that she can be a woman who fears You. Lord, give me the patience to teach her patience. give me the faith that demonstrates faith to her. give me compassion & mercy & grace so that i might show her how to be a woman who gives those things to others. i know that actions speak louder than words, Lord. may i demonstrate to her what True beauty is  and not try to mold her into what i think she needs to be. Lord, i know that You have very special plans for this girl,  and i need You to teach me to get out of Your way. Lord, give her a desire, a yearning, for you - even in this young age. i pray that she finds all that she ever needs is in You. thank you for giving us another year with this precious one. may we seek to point after You in everything we do.