We've had a full and fun summer, blessed with lots of giggles, park playing, water fun, friends and family visits. In early June, you stayed with Grammi and Papa in Marysville for the week to attend Vacation Bible School at the Methodist Church. It was a new experience for you and Grammi said it wasn't always easy to drop you off and leave you crying at the door, but once you calmed down, you seemed to enjoy it and certainly learned a lot. You're still singing some of the songs and came home with a big bag of crafts, just like I did when I was little! One of your summer highlights was (of course) your birthday, which we had at the shelter in the park up the street. We wanted to make a great memory in that park so that whenever we drive by, you'll remember being surrounded and celebrated by your loved ones when you turned 4. It was a HOT day, but we had coolers full of water, tea and lemonade. We ate pizza, snacks, and one of Grandma Jeanne's famous cakes (a princess castle with waffle cones as towers). Grammi and Papa helped us set up (what would we do without grandparents?) and lots of your preschool friends, neighbors and other loved ones came. When it came to pinata time, we couldn't figure out how to hang it, so Daddy used jumper cables. It was hilarious, and it got the job done! The weekend after your birthday, we took a family vacation to Colorado. You and Jalen had a blast. We stayed in some "all-American" motels along the way and you bonded with Uncle Mark's daddy, Mr. Davidson, who we stayed with in Denver. We also spent time with Auntie Tami, Uncle Dick and Aunt Nan, Canyon and Autumn in Golden. You've grown to know and love them very much, just like Mommy does. We saw the Royals and Rockies play a game at Coors Field and enjoyed a great fireworks display afterward! Back in KC, we visited the farm of one of Daddy's friends out in the country. They have their own cow for milk, chickens for eggs and a huge garden. You and Jalen ran all around, blew bubbles with all the kids and had a blast. At the end of July, you and I picked Grandma Jeanne up in Leavenworth for a girls' weekend. We headed for Lincoln to stay at Aunt Julie's, picked her up and headed to Columbus to meet Aunt Kathy at Grandma Seal's. We spent the weekend playing with all your favorite toys at Gma Seal's, visiting old cemeteries to learn about some of your ancestors, eating at favorite places (Glur's -- your Great Grandpa Walt's favorite hangout), shopping at thrift stores, and seeing some of the places that were special to Daddy's family when they were all growing up. They also taught us songs that GGpa Walt taught them when they were little -- Mares Eat Oats and The Handkerchief Song. You loved that we set aside this "girls time" and we plan to do it again next year for our third annual visit! Even though I've been so busy with my work, I've been trying to spend as much one-on-one time with you as possible to help you know how precious you are to me (Daddy does this too -- he spends a lot of time helping you to discover your inner-strength and building your confidence in different ways.) You continue to play pretend every day. Yesterday we got the entire Muppet Babies cartoon series from the 1980's in the mail. I ordered it because it was all about using imagination and heaven knows yours is incredible! (plus, Daddy and I LOVED it when we were kids.) You continue to grow, overcome fears, try new things (with a little nudge from us!) and reach out in new ways to the people around you. Lastly, my favorite new tradition we've started is each night you and I climb the stairs to my prayer room and light candles to pray for our loved ones and others in the world who are in need. It has made our prayer time very special. You choose 2 towns on the world map for us to pray for each night and then you climb into my arms in the rocking chair and I hum you the lullaby your Great Gram Eileen used to sing to me when I was little. We both savor this time. I can barely hold you on my lap anymore, but I will do it as long as I can until you're ready for me to let go.

You are a delightful, imaginative, sensitive, curious and generous little human being. I think your favorite thing in the world right now is giving people gifts that you've chosen especially for them. The other day you and Grandma Jeanne went shopping and you were overjoyed when she let you choose a gift for Daddy, Jalen and I. You even chose special wrapping paper for each of us. You're getting a little braver about some things -- you're not quite the daredevil your brother is (which is FINE with me!) Your curiosity is more about ideas, feelings, how things work and why people do what they do. Music has helped to ease the slight fear of nighttime you had. I put in a soothing yoga CD every night and press "repeat" so it'll play all night long. (If you wake up and don't hear it, you come and let us know!) You rarely wake up, though. You play hard all day long -- constantly imagining, asking us to pretend to be this or that queen, stepsister, princess or villain. You're completely devoted to your brother. You call him J-Boy or Tooty. When we wake up in the morning, you're already in his room reading him books and entertaining him. You love to play Granny's Trunk in the car and with your excellent memory, you're good at it! You've become, to our surprise, a barefoot summer girl. Papa pointed it out when we were visiting Marysville recently and you were running all over the yard, just like Mommy used to. You used to hate letting your feet touch the grass and just last week i watched you running through the sprinkler with the kids in our yard during a neighborhood block party -- loving every moment. You've become quite social -- Miss Natalie says you love to "mother hen" the kids at school -- especially Miss Natalie's grandson Rory and your twin best friends Isabelle and Sophi. You're beyond excited for your birthday party, which we're planning to have at the park down the street. You can't decide if you want the boys to be princes or pirates. The girls, of course, will be invited to be princesses. You've been calling it your "Princess Birthday Surprise Tea Party." Last night Izabella and Isaiah Morris came over to play and as you all ran to the park, i watched you trying to keep up with the older kids. Your little legs were going so fast. You'd stop and pant for a few moments and keep going. I knew you'd get there eventually, but my heart just ached as I watched you try so hard to catch up and feel like you were as fast as the others. I wanted so much to pick you up and run with you and save you from feeling "less than" anyone. I know this isn't for me to do. There are things you'll have to figure out for yourself in your life (and as your daddy reminds me, you'll be all the stronger for it!) There will be things you're great at -- and other things you'll have to let go of. It is pure joy watching you grow and discover the gifts God has given you. Hopefully, Daddy and I are like gardeners. We'll help give you plenty of sunlight and water, but you'll do the growing. Even now, we're learning to stand back and marvel at the beauty as your life unfolds.

Growing, Wondering, Learning, Loving

It's so much fun watching you grow and change, Josephine -- you're always discovering something new, asking questions, wanting to talk about feelings, wondering about people. Often you'll be off playing and I don't realize how deep in thought you are. Suddenly you'll stop and ask me a deep question I can tell you've been pondering for a long time. You're quite sensitive (Grammi says you get that from me!) The other night you were crying big crocodile tears in your bed and when I asked why, you said, "Because I'm afraid of bedbugs and because Lamby (your favorite stuffed animal) lost his smile." We rescued Lamby and Grammi thankfully sewed back on. (You still tear up when you think about it though!) You also came up with the idea to hang a "No Bedbugs Allowed" sign on our door. You love to dance to Johnny Cash music - especially "Get a Rhythm" and "Boy Named Sue." Your favorite radio station is KLOVE and you love the songs "Light Up the Sky" and "You Never Let Go." Whenever you hear one of them, you get so excited and often we jump on the bed while listening to them on youtube. They're both about God's never-ending love for us, which I'm so happy you're absorbing at such a young age. You like to sing us songs-- making them up as you go--and hearing your little singing voice is the sweetest thing. (Almost as wonderful as hearing your laughter!) Your daddy can make you laugh like no one else, by the way. You're feeling very "grown-up" these days in your own way and sometimes you use a really "mature," low voice to let us know that. (However, we're doing everything we can to help you savor every moment of childhood and not grow up too fast!) One expression I'll always remember from you is, "What in the WORLD are you talkin' about?"You continue to love helping with Jalen -- you two have such a strong bond. You've begun making your bed every morning and folding clothes (two things you're very proud of). You love going to Sunday school in the "Blue Room" at church and you continue to learn so much at your school, Little Sprouts. Your best friends there are Rory and the twins Isabel and Sophie. You really enjoy handwriting (you're getting very good at writing your alphabet -- especially your name. In fact, as I was writing this, Miss Natalie called to tell me you'd written your full name along with "Paige" and "Jalen" all by yourself. I'm guessing Daddy's will be next...) You're starting to read a little, sounding words out, always wanting to point out certain ones in your books. You grind coffee for me at school every day and never tire of "surprising" us at the end of the day with your creations. I think one of your strong love languages is gift giving. You always want to buy flowers or a treat for someone you love. Spring is on the way and it will be wonderful to get to play outside with you again. We've decided to have a party to celebrate the beginning of each season. Last weekend in Marysville we visited Orscheln to see the baby chicks and pretend to ride the lawn mowers (this is becoming an annual early spring event and you were extra proud to share it with your brother this year.) You picked out seeds to grow in a little indoor flower garden. You help us to appreciate the little wonders in every season -- snow, sunsets, stars, rainbows, rivers, animals, growing things -- so many questions and observations that remind us how incredible God's world is. What a precious gift you are!