Friday Favorites {Saige}

photo by Brooke Schwab

My baby girl, my Saige Olivia, the one who made me a mother, is turning 5 today. I can remember when she was born, thinking that 5 years old would be such a milestone, such a turning point for her and for our family. And I can remember slightly dreading it... And it came so quickly! What a joy she has been these 5 years. She is such a beautiful little girl - both inside and out. She loves her family and her friends and she is super excited about starting school this year. I know she is going to do great because she is just so eager.


In honor of her turning 5, here are my 5 favorite things about her:

1. Hands down — she has the. best. laugh. ever.

Seriously this girl can laugh. And there is no doubt that she'll get you to laugh too. In fact, she'll fake it until she is really laughing. I can remember when she was about 4 months old she would literally do this fake-laugh-thing and then she would get so tickled she would start really laughing. It got Patrick and I every time. Friends of ours told me once that she has my laugh and it never occurred to me until then, but now I can really hear it. I, of course, think she's adorable.

Her birthday donuts from Starbucks, as requested. 

2. She is a take-charge kind of girl.
I love this about her because it's not how I was as a child. Saige and I are a lot alike but this is one attribute she did not get from me. And I admire it. She has ALWAYS known exactly what she wanted, even as a baby. Sometimes it's hard to interact with her because of this but I know it will serve her well in life. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit gets a hold of her heart and shapes that for God's purposes. I pray she serves, as well as, she leads and that take-charge spirit will be used for God's glory as she continues to grow in Him.

3. She is our social butterfly.

This is one reason why I am not too worried about her starting Kindergarten in less than a month. Gasp. It's less than a month, y'all. I am still in denial. Seriously. I don't like to think about it - I'm an avoider by nature. Anyways, she loves people and she loves to talk. I am not worried about her making new friends or becoming the teacher's best friend. Ha! That's just the kind of person she is. I pray that the Lord uses her cheery disposition to bless others and that she will grow in confidence as she learns more about who she is in Christ.

Birthday flowers from Daddy 

4. She loves well.
She is very nurturing. It has been neat to see her grow into her role in the family as the eldest because she loves her sister and brother. A lot. And she loves her Daddy and her cousin Steven and her Mimi and Noni. Sometimes to the point of tears. Literally. She'll tear up sometimes if she hasn't seen them in awhile. She is super sensitive and I pray that her heart is never hardened. I pray that the Lord will help her deal with pain and disappointment in a way that does not close her off to those that she loves.

She is 100% a Daddy's girl

5. She's smarter than your kid. 
I'm kidding. I'm not one of those parents, but I thought it would get your attention. Ha! But in all fairness, Saige is very smart. She has always been a very quick learner and it's definitely one of her strong suits. I pray that she always remains teachable and that her thirst for learning will never be quenched, save knowing Jesus Christ. I pray that her identity will not be in her intelligence and that she will forever remain grateful and gracious with her God-given talents.

My 5 year old

I love this girl. This daughter of mine. 

Saige, you truly are a blessing to your family and to anyone who knows you.

May your day be filled with fun, joy and laughter. Lots of laughter.

I love you,

Mommy