Five.
How on earth did that happen?
It honestly feels like yesterday that we drove at lightening speed to the hospital downtown Denver and a couple crazy hours later I gave birth to my beautiful daughter and became a mom. It feels like yesterday that she took her first steps in our townhouse in Littleton. It feels like yesterday that we packed her little 2 year old self in a car and drove to California to start a new chapter in all our lives...or that she started preschool...or that she moved from a toddler bed to the top bunk (oh wait, that practically was yesterday). It all feels like yesterday, but it wasn't.
What do they say about the first five years of a child's life? That they are the most important and formative years in a child's life. Oh my word, how did we do?
Samantha Joy. Samantha means 'God heard'. Yes, He most certainly heard our prayers for a child. And He saw fit to give us this remarkable child. And Joy. Yes, she is...even when she isn't.
Samantha has always seemed older than she is. Perhaps because she was totally conversational by age 2. Perhaps because she is really stinking smart (if I do say so myself). At her preschool conference the teachers feedback was summarized like this....1. She is totally ready for Kindergarten, more than ready
2. She is moody
3. She talks about God a lot
I love this feedback because it is totally her.
Our smart, moody, spiritually sensitive little munchkin.
Sam is also...a daredevil (see missing front tooth), a water/beach girl, nurturing, sassy, the best-big-sister-ever, creative, stubborn, dramatic, artistic, energetic, messy, tough, a picky eater, sensitive, quick-thinking, spunky, intense, and affectionate.
Oh how we love her! What an honor to be her parents.
Happy birthday Samantha Joy.
5 years of Samantha...
Credit and thanks to Stacy Bostrom for the two really good photos on this post (sand and laying in grass!).
