Happy 7th Birthday, Brooklynn!

My baby turned 7 last week and we had a really fun time celebrating the occasion. One thing that she really wanted to do was go to The Melting Pot, a chic fondue restaurant in Knoxville. So a BIG thanks to Grandma Sue-Sue & Grandpa Brad for granting that wish. She could hardly wait for that evening to come and when it did she got all dolled up in a dress and heels. :) Too cute! We met Russ there after he got off work and the restaurant had a birthday card waiting for her at our table.

She LOVED the cheese appetizer...

...but as you can see from her fudge-smeared face and from her seal-of-approval kiss...the chocolate desert was her FAVORITE! (mine too!)

~Russ had to work on Saturday which was her actual birthday so the girls and I went and saw the newest Shrek movie, which was actually pretty good.

~We had her birthday party with family on Sunday after church. Thanks to all of you who helped make this such a special birthday with your love and well-wishes! As you can see, she had a BLAST! Lorna made her some Raggedy Ann pajamas that Brooklynn liked so much that she went and changed into them at the party! It took several people to convince her that they were indeed pajamas and not play clothes. Funny girl!

~Brooklynn, you are such a light in my life and I can't imagine my life without you!! If success in life is based on the amount of smiles, laughter and pure joy they have brought into the world...you are definitely the MOST successful person I know! I remember how your daddy and I would go to sleep with our sides hurting from giggling so much with you. For the first few years of your life we didn't even turn on the TV because YOU were the entertainment! Then, as you kept growing, you amazed me again with your eagerness and capacity to learn. Your inquisitive nature and determination have proven to be a challenge to me as a parent at times, but have also made me sit back and look at you with heart-warming pride. And you just keep making my life better! When your baby sister came along after 4 years of being the only child, I worried about how you would adapt. We definitely had our moments of adjusting...but you have proven to be a HUGE help to me!! You have such strong nurturing and motherly instincts and they have proven extremely helpful to our family. Words cannot express the gratitude that a mother has when her children genuinely try to make family life sweet & harmonious! Thank you for just being you!!! I love and adore you and look forward to what the future holds for you and what YOU hold for the future!!