Sarah's (A to Z) Christmas List

I have no idea where Sarah got the idea to do an A to Z Christmas list (he,he!), but I thought it was kinda a cute idea she had!  I just had to laugh at some of her ideas though...she really stretched her imagination to come up with some of these, and I just had to share them! (misspellings left as is)

H - Homemade Purse (I don't think she'd use it if I actually tried sewing her a purse!)
J - Jumpy Pogo Stick (as opposed to the kind that don't jump?)
M - Magenta colored gloves
Q - Quick Electric Scotter (I thought about getting her the slow scooter, I'm glad she clarified!)
T - Tight Skirt (okay, this one made me laugh out loud!) 
U - Unmanated picture of all the family (how in the world does she know what an un-matted picture is?)

How about these 'animals'?
D - Dog (at the top of her list, a real one!)
D - Dolphin Blanket
F - Fish with fish bowl
K - Kangaroo stuffed animal
O - Octipuss stuffed animal
R - Rabbit stuffed animal

Here's the food ones:
A - Andy's Gift Card (big surprise there!)
B - Bubble Gum
L - Lollypop

Then there's her sister who wants:

• A Real Camera you can add lenses too
• A Coach Purse
• Tom's Shoes

(obviously, my frugal shopping skills have not rubbed off on her yet!) 

Like a Museum.

Overheard at the Baker House in the last half-hour (I'm noticing a theme here):

Morgan: Sarah, can I borrow your flipflops for the trip, since mine broke?
Sarah: sure
Morgan: Thanks!
Sarah: If you can find them.

Sarah: Mom, I found an extra pair of goggles.
Me: Awesome, put them with the other pairs.
Sarah: Ummm, I don't know where the other pairs are. (sidenote: she just wore them last night at swim meet!)

This would be why I thought of her when I saw this saying:



so, we will keep working on organization...although some days it feels like a losing battle.  The problem: I am more committed to this process than she is! Anyone have any solutions?

Silver Linings

They say behind every cloud is a silver lining.  And that's what I'm focusing on this morning from our 62 hour adventure to TX and back again.

The best part of our cancelled cruise...was seeing these beautiful people we call family...

Jarrod, Brittney, Chloe, Andrew, Aunt Jean, Uncle Danny, Tessie

The top picture is my Uncle Danny, Aunt Jean, and the Ring Boy and Flower Girl at our wedding in 1994.  I saw my uncle and Tessie in 2005 but I haven't seen my aunt nor Jarrod since this photo in 1994. Texas is a long way from Michigan.  And even pretty far from Missouri. And let me tell you...18.5 and 8.5 years is too long!!

Well, it just so happened my uncle had a hotel suite for work that had plenty of beds for us to hang out at for a couple of days while we reorganized and worked on plan B then plan C. How awesome was that?!

And then on Sarah's birthday, his whole family drove down to have dinner at the aquarium with us! (Bottom photo) What a special treat it was...the food, but mostly the company! It is a memory I will cherish in my heart for a long time! 

My uncle Danny always leaves me with great memories and spending time with him just makes me happy!

So our PLAN C?! (Quick History: Plan B was to head to San Antonio for the week to stay at the Hyatt with fabulous pools, Party it up at Sea world - swim with sea lions, take in the river walk -- well, pools were closed for repairs, sea world is only open weekends right now).  So Plan C - was to give Sarah the most memorable 10th birthday we could - then drive back home the next day - with a rebooked cruise for Spring Break in March! So how did we celebrate her day in Galveston?

It was cold, blustery, drizzly, windy day in the low 50s! BUT, she wanted to see the ocean.  So we went to the ocean and she took off her shoes and wandered along the shore - collecting seashells alongside her sister. We climbed rocks and tried not to get splashed by huge waves.

Then we went to take a dolphin tour boat ride -- we only saw one dolphin, and I told Sarah I was sorry about that, to which Sarah responded, "That's okay, at least I got to see my first real dolphin on my 10th birthday AND I get to still swim with them next month!" Love her positive outlook! But the tour guide gave us 2 great tips - dolphins like to swim in front of boats and the ferry is free.  So after a pizza lunch, we hoped on board the ferry (20 min ride ea way) and guess what - we saw several dolphins - a couple in front of ships - and a whole bunch were swimming near the dock as they unloaded and reloaded the ferry.

We finished the evening with her birthday dinner at the aquarium and her special dolphin cake (thanks, Darian!) at 10pm at night!  I think she felt cherished and will remember this as a special day - so I'd say, so far, Plan C, is a success - and we're thankful we have the cruise to still look forward to in just a few weeks! Here are a few pictures to remember our day...

Jumping Up to Double Digits: Celebrating Sarah!

Before our children were ever born, Mike and I decided that when they made the leap in birthdays from single digits to the double digits - we were going to celebrate big!  I mean, most likely, they won't live to be 100, so it's the only time in their lives that they will jump up a digit on their 10th birthday!

So, this means, they get to pick our family vacation! When Morgan turned 10, it meant a trip to the Grand Canyon. For Sarah, her choices were a bit more limited with a winter birthday, but the following options were considered...Disney World, Ski Vacation, Mall of America, a beach house and her ultimate decision...a cruise, so she could swim with dolphins!

So today, on her 10th birthday, we SHOULD be boarding our first ever cruise ship out of Galveston, TX that SHOULD stop in Progresso and Cozumel where we WOULD swim with dolphins on Valentine's Day (aka, my 39th birthday!).  Needless to say, we WERE so very excited!! BUT we can't control everything. And yesterday there was a fire on our cruise ship. And the trip has been cancelled by the cruise line. We are still trying to figure out the best way to make this sweet girl's dreams come true and trying to make the best of her birthday today! (And praying for 4,000 people stranded at sea until tug boat can pull them back to a Mexico port on Wed - 4 days, yikes! - then they all have to be flown back to USA still. Oh my! Thankful that is NOT us!)

She is flexible, easy going, and still smiling.  We love that about her! Today we celebrate Sarah and the joy she is in our lives! She reminds me to live in the moment and go with the flow. She's carefree and never uptight nor worried!  What a blessing she is to us!

This Morning

Because in light of yesterday's tragic events, I am reminded that all we really have are moments...

Daughter waking up early just past 6:30. Me whispering in her ear, "Good, extra snuggle time for me!" Her smiling back, and snuggling up with me on the couch (I'd already been awake since 4:00ish). Glow of the Christmas tree lights reflecting off the walls. Daughter's stillness next to me, except for her beating heart that I can feel against me. Dog snuggled in close by my feet. Her and I giggling over dog's snoring.  Night giving way to twilight, slowing bringing light to our room. Watching silhouetted squirrels playing early morning chase in mighty oak trees. A few silhouetted leaves still hanging onto branches. Whispered conversations sprinkled here and there...about school and Christmas. Silently, I pray for the 20 families who lost sweet children yesterday, as I kiss the top of my daughter's head. Thankful there is a God who heals the brokenness of this world. Thankful that although my heart has known deep tragedy, at this moment I know deep joy.  

Thanks, Sarah, for waking up early today!

To Make the Grinch Grin...

So...I was subbing at Sarah's school this morning and her teacher pulled me aside and had me read her recent writing assignment.  And it absolutely made my day!! There are so many times I wonder if I'm doing anything right as a mom.  If anything I'm teaching them is sinking in.  And then I get glimpses on days like today that encourage me, that yes, perhaps I am!  

She wrote:

To make the Grinch grin, I would tell him the true meaning of Christmas. I would tell him that it is Jesus' birthday, and we give and get presents to remember the greatest gift of all. I would also play fun games with him. So he does not get mad, I would let him win each time. That is how I would make the Grinch grin. 

Isn't that just precious! I LOVE her heart!! Truth, kindness, and action.

So, how would you make the Grinch grin?!

Out of the Blue

So out of the blue, at bedtime tonight, Sarah says, "Mom, I'm glad you don't work all the time." Simple.Sweet.Honest.  And I'm reminded that any sacrifice I've made, and am making, financially, pales in comparison to the benefits it brings to our family.  There are some amazing moms who work full time, but she reminded me again tonight, that I made the choice to not work full time before I ever had kids and it's a choice I will always be thankful for! These years are flying by!

Here's the girls school pics from the past 6 years. Sarah, ages 4-9. Morgan, ages 6-11.

When I'm Less of a Mom than I Want to Be

On the sidebar of my blog, it says, "I live in the gap between the mom I want to be and the mom I really am."   You see there is this perfect mom that I picture - one who is patient, who doesn't yell, who always knows the right answer, the right thing to do.  I know it's unrealistic. I know I can never be perfect. I even know that attempting perfection is not healthy.  But you see I really don't want my brokenness to transfer to my kids. Those things I don't like about myself, the things I'm working on, I don't want to instill in them.  Is that so bad?

Then there is the mom I really am.  The one who yells. The one who is less than patient. The one who doesn't know what to do half the time.

And here I am tonight, in the gap between the two, trying to find middle ground.  Here's today's incident.

I had several moms and daughters over today (part of a new group I started of moms/daughters serving together once a month in our community). Today we were making cookies to take to police/fire stations to say 'thanks for serving our community.'  Sarah is busy decorating cookies, then I turn around and find she has decided to NOT frost her cookies, no, she decided to frost her hands...and throw in a bunch of sprinkles, and mix them in, and then proceed to cover both sides of her hands!!!!  Seriously, is she two and half? Because I thought she was nine and a half! At two and half I would have gasped, raised my voice in a crazy sounding 'no', then proceeded to explain to her that 'no, we frost the cookies, like this, not our hands.'  But to my 9.5 year old? All I can yell is this "What were you thinking? What in the world made you think this would be ok? I can't believe you have done this! Seriously, Sarah?! Wash your hands now!"  Oh, I zapped the joy right out of the room.  Sigh.  She knows better. Yet she chooses different. And I'll admit, I found it embarrassing (both her actions, and then my response).

So tonight, I try to think, how can I respond different next time? What should my response have been? And you know what? I.have.no.clue.NOT.one.tiny.clue. about how to do this different next time  - ask her nicely to stop, eye rolling, laughing, ignoring...you know what. I don't have an answer.  Do you?  I'd love your perspective.

And here I am at the end of the day, trying to give myself grace. Why do I always find it the hardest to extend grace to myself? I did read "Jesus Calling" devotional tonight, written as if Jesus is speaking to you, and I read, " Gaze into My eyes, and you will see no condemnation, only Love and delight in the one I see." And I am once again captivated by God's grace for me. Even when I don't deserve it, he extends Love and delight to me. I am trying to rest in that truth as I straddle this gap of motherhood.

The Undefeated Flames

Sarah had her last Volleyball Game of the season tonight!! They ended the season undefeated!! Sarah has had a wonderful experience - she has had an amazing coach - she is not only an expert at the game itself, but she is wonderful with kids! I have a high respect for all volunteer coaches - they are amazing!! I'm thankful there are wonderful people out there who make the world sweeter by investing in kids!!

GO FLAMES!!

Last Fall Sarah could NOT get the ball over the net. Well tonight, when she was up to serve, she got it over the net 4 times in a row!! And of course Daddy promised her Andy's if she could get it over 3 times in a row - so it looks like there is an Andy's trip in our very near future! (Unfortunately the game ended at 9pm on a school nite - so we couldn't go tonight!) And of course, I was so excited and in the moment for her accomplishment, that I totally forgot to get a picture of her mile wide smile!
Sarah's certificate tonight read:

"Most-Improved Server" Presented to Sarah Baker #2
...because of your dedication in learning to serve. Your perseverance paid off and you have achieved excellence in serving.
Flames Volleyball 2011-2012
coaches Katrina Doza and Angela Walker

Early Spring

I'm still in shock that we have completely skipped winter this past year! Two tiny snowfalls of about 1" each that only lasted 24 hours hardly feels like you can call it winter. Moving here from Michigan, the thing I've always appreciated about Missouri is that Spring seems to arrive a month or so earlier here (and Fall usually lasts a month or so longer)! Well this year, Spring has come even earlier! And I'm lovin' every sweet minute of it! I swear my giant oak trees did not start leafing until at least mid-April last year. So yesterday while eating lunch on my deck and relaxing in my hammock at the end of the day, I just kept staring at my oak leaves - at awe that they are already popping out all over my trees! Soon each of those tiny leaves will work together to create an oasis of shade for my backyard. This makes me smile.

So other than my oak leaves, here were some of the things I paused to notice this past week -

• The almost translucent bright green leaves illuminated by setting sun
• The vibrant bright colors transforming the dull landscape right now - deep purples, bright pinks, fresh whites, and the hundred shades of green!
• Fresh soil under my fingernails (don't worry, I washed it all out in the shower)
• A whiff of honeysuckle floating by in the breeze
• The warmth of the sun kissing my skin (also got my first sunburn of the season from doing yardwork)
• Even the sky has seemed a bit bluer these days - and the white puffy clouds have made laying there looking up oh, so picturesque! 

Yesterday included lots of yardwork, today after church might include a long hike - maybe explore some new trails? or perhaps a bike ride - I don't know - all I know is that when these perfect days roll around - the only place I want to be is outside! Nature definitely replenishes my soul! 

Oh, and a quick update on the girls. Morgan went to a sleepover Friday night - she slept Saturday from 1-3, then I had to wake her up to leave - she came home and slept from 5-9, woke up and ate dinner - then went back to bed by 9:15 and is still sleeping this morning (8:00)!! I think it was a successful sleepover with 2 of her good friends!! 

With Morgan gone and sleeping - we've had lots of one on one time with Sarah (and Sarah was home sick 2 days this past week - so even more time!) I've enjoyed this time very much - Sarah has been her happy, pleasant self (especially so without her sister to fight with!) - she's been so helpful and has wanted to spend her time working along side of us - She's made me lunch twice this past week (mac n cheese - all by herself! and a turkey sandwich) - both were delicious!  I love that bubbly, sweet child! 

9 Ways We Celebrated a 9th Birthday

Nine years ago, sweetness itself was born! Here are nine ways we celebrated Sarah on her 9th birthday...(she chose a mini-trip to visit friends vs. a party.)

1. Our birthday tradition of balloons and streamers hanging in her bedroom doorway when she wakes up

2. Donuts to school!

3. New hair for her American Girl Doll! Glad her doll made it safely to the American Girl Doll Hospital and back again into her arms!

4. Shakespeare's Pizza - shared with some great friends! (so worth the 3.5 hour drive!) Glad this is what she wanted for her big day!! How'd I forget a picture of this?!

5. Swimming at hotel pool with life long friends (whom we miss terribly!)

6. An amazing one-of-a-kind, birthday cake, made just for her by the one and only Darian!

7. Staying overnight at a hotel, just for fun! Made duct-tape flip flops!

8. Wrote her a special note in her journal.

9. Standing on her chair at dinner while the waiter wished her a happy birthday and gave her a mug of ice cream!

Worms (by Sarah)

Everything you ever needed to know about worms, according to Sarah, age 8. (Sarah wrote the following paper at school.)
This is a worm. My sister thinks worms are grows {gross}. I don't think they are. Worms are nice they make your flowers grow by pooping. My mom likes worms because she likes seeing her pretty flowers. A worm is slimey. They can brake in half and still be alive. Worms are pink but they look a little brown because of the brown dirt. 

First Day of School, Day 3

Well it's day three of the school year and Sarah was so ecstatically happy this morning -- finally she gets to begin her 3rd grade year today!! She was bouncing out of bed an hour early today with a grin a mile wide! So glad she is finally fever free, and thankful her 'sickness' never amounted to more than that!

Click on picture to read the letter.

And as much as I was ready for school to begin, I did enjoy my couple of days with just her. She made me 'mail' and put in our mailbox while she was home (see picture) to surprise me! We read two entire Junie B. Jones book - and I loved snuggling with her and listening to her giggle out loud at the funny parts. (And I wondered, did I ever laugh out loud when I read books like that?!) We also picnicked outside, played perfection, finished her summer scrapbook, and worked on a sewing project she had started six months ago.

This girl is sweetness itself and it just oozes out through her smile and laughter. She's gonna have a 'grate' year, I'm sure!

Only in Missourah!

Well this June marks 15 years since we packed up our belongings and moved to Missouri...pronounced Missourah by most those who live down here. All we knew about Missouri at the time is that the capital city was Jefferson City (yeah for 4th grade state capital tests!) and that this state had an Arch.  But after six months of looking for a job after graduation and a 2 inch stack of rejection letters, we were more than thrilled when Mike was offered a job as a criminalist at the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Lab, so off we went! Always thinking we'd return to our beloved state of Michigan...

Well here we are 15 years later, still here, and other than missing family immensely, happy to call this home.  Tonight Sarah reminded me of a story from our first few weeks of living here.  I was on my way to my temp job (with Missouri State Parks) and they asked this question on the radio, "Name 7 body parts that have only 3 letters." One person called in and said "jaw" to which the next caller called in to respond (totally serious I might add), "jaw is not a correct answer, because jaw is spelled j-a-w-l, it has 4 letters." Which left me wondering where in world have I moved to...a bunch of rednecks or hillbillies or something must live here.

Well tonight, I noticed Sarah wrote down this word (on her list of 'boredom buster' ideas for the summer): "drawl" - and I couldn't help but laugh when I saw it.  Later when I saw her, I asked her how to spell straw, to which she said, "s-t-r-a-w-l" - and draw? "d-r-a-w-l".  Well since I refuse to let my daughter be a complete redneck, I had to explain to her that while people in Missouri say, "you want to drawl?" - and so that's how it sounds to write it, that they really should say, "do you want to draw? - see, no 'l' on the end.  So after mini lesson in proper English, we tested out "jaw" - Sarah, how do you think you spell jaw? She answered:  'j-a-w' - and how do you think people in Missouri spell it? 'j-a-w-l' she responded with her big grin.  :)  That's my girl! :) And dear sweet state of Missouri, and wonderful people whom we've met here - we love ya'll no matter how ya'll talk! ;)

So Different, Love them Both

Okay, with Morgan, every day she brings home her papers neatly in a folder. Oh occasionally one might be in her bag, or elsewhere, but for the most part, she has always been responsible about putting her papers in her folder and bringing them home. I've never had to ask her about it or teach her to do it - she just does it. She also fills out her planner for school faithfully and always reminds me to sign it. She's super responsible!

But my girls are as different as night and day sometimes.  They remind me that while I may 'parent' them similar, with the same goals, they still have very unique personalities. I can not parent them exactly, because they are different kids, and require different strategies in dealing with different issues.  For example, Here's Sarah.  Monday - no papers. Tuesday - no papers. Wed. - no papers. Thurs - no papers. Friday - an entire weeks worth of papers crammed into her folder, with the overflow crammed into the bottom of her bag (only because her teacher required them to clean out their desks). A wad. A mess.  I've tried talking with her. I've tried bribing her - bring her papers home, she can have a piece of candy. This week she had an important note about needing to bring something to school (actually it's from over a week ago) - she told me about it - but not knowing the details, I wasn't going to buy random stuff and send it in. All week I've asked her for the note. Told her she can't bring stuff to school unless she's responsible to bring me the note.  I finally found the note on Friday crammed in her folder. Umm yeah, we were suppose to send in the item last Monday. So I sent her teacher an email about it, explaining all this and that I was trying to instill some responsibility into her.  So he sent me back the following email, and it made me laugh out loud!! It said:

I understand about her desk. Every day after math I always tell her that one day she's not going to be able to cram anything else in there and she just grins real big and shrugs her shoulders. I just have been waiting like you to see what happens. I know that I shouldn't laugh, but it makes me chuckle to see her do that.

All I have to say is that thankfully, we still have ten more years (til she's 18) to keep working on responsibility! She'll get it, I hope. But something tells me she may always have a messy desk when she grows up. I wonder if she'll surprise me! :) And by the way, if I had to choose, I'd take her big grin over a neat folder any day! :) 

Butterfly Kisses and Well Loved Ducks

We got home late from church tonight and I wanted to rush getting the girls to bed.  But both of them stopped me in hurry and made me pause and appreciate the moment.

I went to tell Morgan goodnight and there snuggled up next to her were her "Crackers" and Cracker's Friend, "Pretzel". Crackers was her beloved childhood duck. He's had 3 beaks and has needed several stitches thru the years. She usually doesn't sleep with them anymore, at almost 10, she's well past that stage of needing them to sleep.  But tonight, there they were - all 3 of them on her pillow.  I just had to kiss them all goodnight.  And I said to her, "one day all three of you are going to move out and I'm sure gonna miss you all!" We then added 3 more books of the bible to her wall...as we are trying to memorize them all in order for a zone 4/5 challenge from Church and said good night prayers.

Then I went to Sarah's room, had a brief chit-chat moment, followed by her bedtime prayers.  She then reached up and gave me 'butterfly kisses' and then I opened my eyes and looked at her and she had one of her giant Sarah smiles on her face.  Goodness, these years are sweet! I know they won't last forever, so I have to pause and enjoy them now. 

I also secretly hope that one day, they will share butterfly kisses with their kiddos, who will in return, turn around and give them back to me!!

Everyday Update

As darkness gave way to twilight and a dozen birds sang to me through an open window this morning - I breathed in deeply this beautiful thing called, "Spring". I whispered prayers to the God of the universe, thankful He cares enough to listen to the smallness of my heart.  I then decided to 'pen' Mike's Gram an email this morning, as she was on my mind. (And might I add, that when I'm in my 90s, I sure hope I am still computer savvy enough to get emails!)  I gave her an update on our everyday-ness. I thought I would put it on my blog too, 'a snapshot' of our life at this moment.

Mike: Has a big inspection at work this week - they have it every 5 years. He says its not a big deal. but it is. Does he ever think anything is a big deal? He is so laid back, I love that about him. This week he was teaching Morgan all about how the inside of how a car works. I wonder where he learned that?!

Morgan: Doing awesome in school. Loves art class this year. and reading. and math. Just started learning to play recorder in music class. She has one more week of volleyball. They haven't had a winning season on the court, but she has had a winning season in her soul - learning something new, gaining confidence, learning about teamwork. She is excited about her 10th birthday this summer and our trip to the Grand Canyon to celebrate it.

Sarah: She just won her first Spring soccer game last night. It was a joy to see her growth since last fall - from being less passive on the field, to being more active in the game. She, too, is doing well in school. She seems to enjoy all the special things they learn at school. Last night at the dinner table she was telling us all about how mountains and valleys are made. She was fascinated by owls last month.

Me: Substitute teaching when I can. This week has been slow, but I've been enjoying being outside, soaking in spring and letting the quietness replenish my soul. My latest writing project is called "1000 gifts" and I'm trying to pause and write 1000 things I'm thankful for in 2011. In nine weeks, I'm up to 363 of them. For me, it's about developing a heart of gratitude for all the little things in life.

Sarah is 8!!

A few random things I wanted to capture about Sarah's birthday.

I put these quotes on facebook, but I wanted to write them here to 'capture' them in time.

• Sarah's goodnite quote: "Good night momma - this is the last time I'll see you until I'm 8!!" (which will be in 3.5 hours! or when she wakes up in 10.5 hours! Her excitement has been giggling out of her all day!! :))
• Quote #2: "I can't wait to wake up in the morning!! 'cuz there will be balloons and streamers in my doorway!!! eeeee!!!" ~ Gotta love traditions!!
• Sarah's Morning Quote (with a smile as wide as the ocean): "I've been waiting all year for this day!!" Love birthdays that let us pause and celebrate life's journey!!

She had her first sleepover for her 8th birthday. I only let her invite 8 friends - it was so hard for her to chose just 8!! Here are a few pictures to help me capture the moments.


Sleepover Breakfast



The balloons and streamers
 in her doorway.



Gotta love all the pink packages
at girl's birthday parties.





Ice-skating birthday cake,
with love, from Darian.



Celebrations are meant to be shared!

Strange Conversation

Here at the Baker house, sometimes we have the strangest conversations. Here's last night's:

Mike: Can I pull out some of your hair?
Sarah: (with a look that he's slightly crazy) NO!
Mike: It's for Science!
Sarah: (with a look that he's still slightly crazy) Well, Okay.

So, Sarah,  Morgan and I proceeded to surrender a few strands of  hair (roots and all), as he carefully placed them each in their own Ziploc bag.  Apparently at the crime lab he's doing some training for a new employee and needs some samples. Ah, glad we could help fight crime! We jokingly told the girls they 'better be good' because we had standards for any evidence now! (I know most people, this time of year, are telling their kids they better be good 'cuz Santa is coming! Like I said, strange conversations!)

I LOVE Birthdays!

It is so much fun to celebrate birthdays! Here's a few pictures from Sarah's 6th birthday.

Darian, who is like the BIGGEST blessing to our family, made Sarah's birthday cake. (She is also watching the girls this weekend, so Mike and I can get away for a couple of nights...oh yah!)

Sarah had 2 friends come home from school with her today and they went swimming at the pool with us. And just now as I was typing this up, Sarah lost her very 1st tooth! How very exciting!

I love watching her smile all day!!! She adds so much joy, giggles and fun to our lives!