Happy Birthday, Olivia!

Is it really possible? Could my baby girl be turning eleven?

Olivia is truly a “tween” now. I love getting to know the young lady that she is becoming. But, I equally love the glimpses of little girl I still see peeking through now and then.

Over the past year, Olivia has discovered that she has something in common with Brad Paisley – her favorite color is camouflage!

I suppose that fits well with her love for tractors and all things mechanical. She loves gears and figuring out how things work.

But, she’s not all tomboy. The girlie side of her is still there. She might prefer pants and camo, but she’ll still play dress-up, too. When we went to pick out her birthday party plates, she loved a purple flowered design. Camo might be her new favorite color, but bold purple is still hanging in there, too! The balance in her personality is really precious to watch.

One of the neatest things to observe about Olivia has been her increased attitude of responsibility. We’ve added a newborn to our church family in recent months, and Olivia loves to hold her, even when she’s fussy. She takes care of things rather than just choosing activities for the fun of them.

She’s even chosen to get up earlier than usual lately (yes, the child who still loves her sleep!) just so she can fix breakfast smoothies every morning for the family and practice getting quicker in the kitchen. She also fixes sandwiches for herself and her brother and sister almost every night.

Olivia is growing spiritually, too. She notices things in Scripture in a way she never has before, and is learning how to apply them. And she really does want to be pleasing to her Savior in word and deed.

Over the past year, Olivia got her first pair of glasses, decided that she likes “real” movies as much as or more than cartoons, grew 3 1/2 inches, reached women’s shoe sizes, and learned a great deal about how to manage the quirks of her personality (and hormones! ACK!).

Olivia, you are precious to us! Thank you for keeping life interesting with your vivacious personality and endless curiosity. I sometimes wish you were still the little baby girl who captured my heart eleven years ago. You are just growing up so fast I can hardly keep up! But, I have to say that watching you grow up is such a delight that I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’m getting a glimpse of what it will be like to be your friend as well as your mommy. I like that.

Happy birthday, sweetheart! We love you!