Happy Birthday Sunshine!!

Our little Sun turns 12 today!  12!!  My how the time flies.  She gets to attend Young Women's and girls' camp!!  Hooray!!  Those are two of my very favorite places and things!

Here are some of my favorite memories:

Blessing dress made by my favorite auntie!  Thanks Janelle!

First (and only, so far) Easter Bonnet

The beginning of 'the looks'!

When she still actually liked him :-)

Typical, happy Sun!

When you were four, we were sitting on the couch, you with your head in my lap.  I told you how glad I was to be your mother.  You said, "I'm glad you are my mother too.  I always wanted you to be my mother, but I didn't know if you were going to be able to be my mother."

When you were 18 months old, I pulled a dress out of the closet for you to wear to church.  You scowled at it.  I said, "Don't you want to wear this dress?  It is so cute!"  You shook your head 'No' and then picked out your own.  It was my first experience with girls having their own opinion.  They boys would still let me dress them if I would do it.  But I won't...so that is that.  Your opinion has always been different than mine in the fashion department.  I try to let you do your own thing and not interfere, which is hard for me :-) as you know.

You LOVE nail polish, hair stuff, dresses and dolls....most of which I have never had a use for.  But I love that you are phoofy and it makes me smile.

When I was expecting you, I told the Lord that I could probably have more children, but if he sent me another boy, I would draw the line after the baby arrived and be finished having children.  I didn't think any family should have six sons...that was too many.  Two things about this:  It shows that the Lord has a sense of humor.  He made sure we didn't have six sons.  Now we have eight.  Two:  Your father is sure I have extorted the Lord to get what I wanted.  I just tell him that a Father and daughter had a frank conversation and we both knew what the other needed.  We made an agreement.

You make me smile, now and forever!  I love having a daughter!  You bring some stability to all the testosterone running around in our home.  Yea for some kind of balance :-)  We love you Sunshine!!  Have a fabulous special day!

Love Mom