Happy Birthday Beth!

Yes, it is already time for another birthday post! My little Mary Elizabeth turned seven yesterday. Beth is our oldest, and is such a good big sister. She'll always have a special place in my heart since she is the one who made me a mommy. We spent a great deal of time alone together early on, as her Daddy was away with the Coast Guard nine months out of the first year of her life. Instead of it being a difficult time though, she made it a very happy time for me. We had a beautiful home right near the beach in Florida, and I felt like I was on a vacation with just my little baby. Our days were filled with long walks, trips to the park, and visits with friends. She was very happy and a great sleeper and eater right from the beginning. Older people we met on the Air Force base often asked to hold her, and she always gave them a big smile and went right over. It wasn't until our second child that I realized none of this was really typical. It was only Beth that slept through the night very early, and had a smile on her face everyday. She had some health concerns that first year as well, but even that couldn't keep her down.

As a seven year old Beth still has a smile on her face everyday. That is the one thing that has not changed. She is quick to laugh and is definitely the silliest of the kids. She is also very loving and smart though. We're very proud of her, and as she is getting older she is becoming a big help to me. She makes friends easily, which is great since she has lived in four states during her short life. She loves to read, and is an excellent reader already. We bought her a little booklight a few months ago, and now she reads well into the night. She also loves art, and is always drawing or creating something. I love to see the products of her imagination. Her greatest love is probably animals, particularly her pet cats. She says she wants to be a veterniarian when she grows up, and I think she just might. Beth is a girly girl in most ways, and already loves to shop. None of that describes me, so I think that particular gene must have skipped a generation. Luckily for her, her grandmother and great-grandmother (GG) also love to shop, and they keep her supplied with cute outfits. She also loves to be outside though, and spends her summers hunting for worms and bugs. I guess she has a little tomboy in her after all.

We celebrated Beth's birthday with a double party at a local indoor playground for her and Carrie. In our family we do a party for the kids every other year. On off years we do a small celebration with just the six of us. This year was a party year! The girls had a lot of fun, and overall I think it was a big success.

Happy Birthday Beth! We love you!