Ruth,

Happy Birthday, Sunshine.  This post is a little late, but I'll back date it.  In some ways you haven't changed at all this year.  You are still eager to please, very compassionate toward others, desire to be helpful, have strong opinions, and are still excited about school.  In other ways I can see how much you have changed.  You are so much taller this year than last.  You are becoming more of a planner and worrier, in complete contrast to a year ago.  You are no longer afraid of the water or math.  And for the first time, have expressed interest in Churchy things by asking questions that never bothered you before.

You have grown alot, especially in the last several months.  It appears to finally be all legs.  From the time you were born, pants in each new size would fit in the waist, but be way too long.  And suddenly a few weeks ago, the size 6 pants are right about the right length.  You are looking more grown in the face than you have in the past.  Maybe it's the new haircut, or the increase in freckles, but you seem to have lost alot of baby fat in your face.  You still have your adorable squishy eyes though.  You also played tball for the first time this year.  At first it was something you wanted to do because of Britt.  Then you didn't like all the practice.  But right at the end, you decided you loved it and wanted to do it again next year.  You have also branched out and begun swimming under the water on your own in the water.  Out of nowhere the day before your birthday, you just did it.  Your confidence is growing, and we are excited to see you able to do more and more.  It's funny to think when you were born, all you could do was lay there and cry, but now we can watch you play ball, swim, and grow.

You have come so far in school this year as well.  You are really reading now.  Slow, and still sounding out alot of words, but you are reading.  Short vowels, long vowels, tricks with two vowels and silent e.  You have completely caught up to Britt.  While he is a little faster and smoother of a reader, you are both to the point in the current reading book, that you have learned all the sounds you need, it's just a matter of practice and fluency.  You have almost caught up to him in math as well.  You have mastered your addition facts, and are moving through subtraction with great speed.  You rarely make mistakes, and seem to have a good grasp of it.  You were bored with science by the end of last school year, but seem to enjoy history.  I have told you that history is a giant story, from the moment God created the world, till it ends, and it is made up of many little stories.  And like me, you enjoy the stories.  Art remains your absolute favorite part of school, and you insist that when you grow up you are going to be an artist.

The biggest change in you, to me though, is your inner thought life.  You very often bring me questions and concerns that never crossed your mind before.  You ask about Heaven, sometimes in the context of wondering what Abigail is doing or likes, and sometimes asking why God made earth if He like Heaven better.  You and Britt have often talked about one day after we do our debt free scream with Dave Ramsey, then we can go to Disney World for the first time.  But the other day out of nowhere you were very worried that buying a house would be more debt and that we wouldn't have enough money.  A very different question than Britt who only worried it might delay his Disney trip.  You have asked if other people don't like you, if you should do something different, as you haven't found a close friend since moving back to Florida.  You really enjoy filling in your planner, not only because it's an art thing we do together, but you also seem to really like knowing what is coming next.  Very unlike Daddy and the you of a year ago.  You have stopped asking for another sibling, even though you say you want one.  You told me just a bit ago, that "having another baby makes you both a little scared and a little happy.  It could turn out sad like Abigail, or happy like Rebecca, me and Britt."  You think more and I suppose live in the moment a little less.

You have grown up in so many ways in the last year, something that makes us happy and sad.  We love you and your sweet heart so much.  And pray all the best for you, and can't wait to see where that compassionate spirit will take you in life.

We love you,
Momma