Laila's 4th Birthday

I have all "kids" now. No more toddlers, much less an infant. However, I totally get why people "baby" their youngest child. It's not an intentional "I'm going to baby her because she's the youngest" it's that I really see her as my baby girl. Since she was the 3rd and last child there was noone to come into the home to make her seem big. She's just forever the baby.
She doesn't act too much like a baby though. She's totally tough and awesome and she knows it. She's a smart little cookie and has absorbed so much from her two older sisters. She's not shy and is quite competitive - more so than the other kids her age. She started soccer this summer and they're trying to teach her about being part of a team and she's not having it. Some day she'll probably be a great asset to a team, but right now it's all about her being first at everything. And I mean everything.

I have no idea where the last 4 years went. We've just been enjoying Laila so much and having fun we just plain lost track of time, I guess.

We have so many nicknames around here for her I better just keep it simple and say this: Happy 4th Birthday our absolutely perfect in every way Laila Beth.

Does Summer Have to End?

I'm watching Cecelia outside sitting in our little hammock chair. She's just rocking gently in the warm summer wind with her eyes closed. It just makes my heart happy.
I love crawling into bed with my cool summer PJs on at night and waking up to a warm floor under my tired feet.
It's so easy to wake up early when the sun is shining so brightly through all the windows in the house.
The kids get to stay up a little later and sleep in a little longer.
I love watching the girls ride their bikes, and swing on swings, and dig their feet in the sand.
There is so much to do and so many places to go. Seems like there's always some reason to celebrate when it's summer.

Even though it's in the far corners of my mind I'm trying not to even think about fall. I'm fully submerged in this Minnesota summer - I just wish it would never end.