Happy Birthday to Abby Kate!

Our little Katers turned three this week, and I know I always say this....but, really. HOW did this little one

turn into this big one

so fast?

All of my girls have grown too fast, but especially little miss Abby Kate. I can't slow her down enough!! And, she keeps telling me "My still be you baby, Mommy. But I three now." I think she knows I still need her to be. :)

Here's our precious girl on her first birthday:

And, on her second birthday:

And, now on her THIRD birthday!!

In usual fashion, we had many fun days of celebrating her. She is a funny little girl with lots of opinions...and so, of course, she had those about her birthday too.

Opinion #1: She did NOT want breakfast in bed but she did want the "You are Special" plate. She wanted to be the one to go get her breakfast, and she did NOT want Mommy to cook breakfast. She wanted "chokit" donuts with sprinkles. Mommy did not argue with that plan. :)

She loved that her birthday was finally here ("Febiyary tennyate", as she says it....also known as February 28th) and was all smiles when it arrived. We went to lunch with Grandad, Grankay, Grandmother, Papa Roy, and the aunts, uncles, and cousins...and even though this was already planned as our monthly get-together, in Abby Kate's mind, this lunch was "all about her".

But, of course, she likes that attention in theory...but she does not really like the attention once it is focused on her (reminds me alot of Carlie Reese!), so she would suddenly act awkward every time all eyes were on her. Oh, she makes me laugh.

After lunch and a quick nap, it was time to get ready for an extra special birthday treat!! It was time for the Daddy Daughter Princess Ball with church! And, again, Abby Kate thought this must be all about her birthday! (it worked out nicely and beat the usual tradition of Chuck E Cheese!)

Here is the beautiful Princess AK with her Prince Charming:

And, here is that handsome Prince Charming with the other beauties:

From what I hear, it was the perfect way to celebrate her day. Dinner, dancing (for two hours straight!), and dessert with her favorite people.

It was a great night for them all, and it ended a fun birthday for Abby Kate. She was one happy girl.

Opinion #2: She did not want a party with her friends. She really loves her friends, but told me that she only wanted a party with Kendyll and Carlie. So, we compromised and I was "allowed" to bring a treat to school at lunchtime as a way to include her friends....only I should have known. This is how she acted the whole time I was there:

Now I know to go with what she says next time. :)

Opinion #3: She wanted a kitty cat cake. Since Mommy does not enjoy {nor is she good at} baking cakes, Grandma happily volunteered to bring back her cake baking skills for this homemade cat creation. Isn't it cute? It made Abby Kate's day for sure. It was another fun day of celebrations for this little three year old. :)

Opinion #4: Abby Kate and I have "mommy school" together on Wednesdays. We love our mornings together, and she always has opinions on what we do then too. (of course!) So, the week of her birthday, she knew she wanted to use her new Cupcake Maker from Gammy! So, all morning long, we made cupcakes....and celebrated her birthday again.

I love these chubby little mixing hands.

She was so cute, as she picked out a cake and frosting flavor for each member of the family.

She made what they like best, and picked it all by herself.

She was so incredibly proud of her cupcakes and the family enjoyed eating them for afternoon snack that day. Gammy, the cupcake maker is a hit for sure.

So, it was a fun week full of celebrating our big three year old. Just like all of my girls, I wait in great anticipation to see what God has created her to do in future years. She is such a unique combination of gifts and talents and personality...and I love seeing more of who she is come out with each passing year.

Abby Kate, you are a gift of God to our family, and there is no one else who can smile like you do, hug like you do, or make us laugh like you do. You have the sweetest heart for your family, and for the Lord. I love your little prayers, and your precious little raspy voice as you sing songs every night. I love how quickly you learn new things, and how curious you are about life! You love order, cleaning, and routine...but you can also mess up a room faster than anyone I know. You know what you want and how you want it. But, your heart also melts so easily for others. You fiercely love your family...aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and especially your sisters, your baby Chase, your mommy and daddy, and your puppy Annie. You light up our lives, literally, with your personality. And, I can't imagine life without our Abby Kate. You are a healing balm for my mommy heart and there are times I truly believe the Lord uses you to speak simple truths to me. As I rub your head at night (our favorite tradition), you always know the right little thing to say to remind me of who God is and how He loves us.

You are a gift. And, I'm so thankful for who you are. Happy Birthday to our little Katers.