Summer turns SIX!

Tonight, at 9:02pm, my first baby, the one who made me a Mommy, turned 6 years old!  At exactly 9:02, I went up to Summer's room to see if she was still awake.  She stirred as I opened the door, the birthday streamers hanging in her doorway swishing into her room.  As I whispered that it was her exact birthday, we cuddled and chatted.  Her, chatting non-stop about a million random things in her sweet voice - worries, excitements, joys, anything her little mind thought.  Me, picturing exactly how it felt and looked exactly 6 years ago on this day, remembering so many things about that moment in the hospital. 

Summer is more than I ever could have hoped for in a daughter.  She amazes me with her outgoing personality, caring spirit, love for Jesus, amazing memory, ability to make her own fun and involve others in her play, sweetness toward her siblings, love for reading and pretend, and her beauty both inside and out. 

Her outgoing personality talks to anyone!  She not only talks, but she asks questions...like what is your favorite food?  What is your favorite dessert?  She gets people talking and I love to watch her interact with young and old, drawing people towards her with her sweet conversational style and friendly manner. 

Her caring spirit is so evident in how she always remembers to ask about any ailment or pain anyone she knows has suffered from, whether it be a tummy ache or a bigger struggle.  She prays for others and truly remembers and cares for those around her.  She volunteers to help where needed and does so in a cheerful way without complaining or arguing. 

Her love for Jesus is evident in her countenance when she does wrong and immediate repentance.  It is also evident in her conversations and questions, as well as her love for doing her daily devotions each night before bed and her love for reading God's word together with Mommy in the morning (during the school year) or at quiet time (during the summer).  She has an amazing faith already at such a young age and a desire for others to know Jesus personally.  I lost track of all the friends she invited to her Wednesday night church club but it was almost all of the girls in her class at school, along with many neighbors and friends she met through various activities.  It was rare for Summer not to have a new friend with her at Awana.

Summer's memory is amazing.  She remembers every detail of every story she learns in school or through reading or talking to others and brings up facts during conversation, teaching me things I didn't know!  It was so sweet, today at Culvers she saw a sign that said the employee of the month, remembered the name was Don, and when she saw a Don asked if he was the employee of the month and congratulated him!  Made his day...and mine.  My favorite part of her memory, however, is that she just absorbs God's word.  She memorizes so quickly and I love trying to saturate her head with God's Word through Awana during the school year and our verse of the week during the summer (we are memorizing the armor of God from Ephesians 6).  We refer to memorizing God's word as filling up the buckets in their hearts with verses so they can pull them out when they need them.  Praise the Lord for all the verses she has stored in her bucket!

I love watching Summer make her own fun everywhere she goes.  She is always coming up with new games to play in the car or at home, and involves both her siblings in the fun. I love hearing the giggles that follow!  Larkyn and Colton both love her 1,2,3 race game where, while sitting in the car, they count off, race their arms and legs as fast as they can, and then take turns announcing who came in first second and third.  Following Summer's lead (due to her understanding of "the first will be last and the last will be first" that we drilled so hard several years ago), none of the kids put themselves in first place at the end of their stationary pretend race, but rather always choose another sibling to take the place of honor.  Love that girl.

Summer is so sweet with her siblings.  She has really learned the art of putting others first, leading in love, using questions not commands (our way of circumventing her bossy tendencies), and being an amazing big sister.  Colton adores her and loves playing all her fun pretend games with her!  Larkyn also is most often found in Summer's room playing dollhouse or asking to play with something of Summer's...and Summer loves having her around.  I am so grateful for how she sets the tone of sibling love and the others follow suit.

Summer, you are so beautiful inside and out!  I am so proud of you!  I continue to pray for godly friends, teachers, and someday spouse that will appreciate, love, respect, and guide you in God's ways.  I also continue to pray that you will bring glory to God and others into his kingdom, and that you will always stay on His straight and narrow path.  I so appreciate our current relationship and pray it always stays this way.  You are an amazing person, and you encourage me to be better.  I love you more than words can say.  Happy 6th birthday, sweetheart!

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Summer has quite the birthday week...
Monday - presents + spaghetti!
Wednesday - actual birthday
Thursday - family party
Friday - kids party
Saturday - breakfast in bed
*Stay tuned for an overload of pictures and videos coming in the next week!