happy 2nd birthday, sweet caroline!

caroline is 2 years old today! she is 2, going on 22. our little girl has packed so much laughter and silly times into the last two years... i can only imagine what the years to come will hold! this morning, we woke up caroline to the singing of "happy birthday" and a birthday cinnamon roll. she loved blowing out her candle in bed, and after we moved the festivities to the kitchen, she had so much fun blowing the candle out over and over. "more hot gint?" (gint= again) she would say. two years old is such a fun year to celebrate birthdays because i feel like it is the first year that they really "get" that it's their special day, and boy, does caroline know it! here's a little walk down memory lane... but if you're gonna keep up with caroline, you'd better run...

november 2007

december 2007

january 2008

february 2008

march 2008

april 2008

may 2008

june 2008

july 2008

august 2008

september 2008

october 2008

november 14, 2008
and it was just like yesterday that i was holding this sweet (and perfectly still!) little bundle... oh to be able to swaddle her now! :)

november 14, 2006

we are praising the Lord for caroline today, and we are so blessed to have had a wonderful two years with her. have there been challenges? ohhhhhhhh yes. is she a handful? ooooooooooohhhhhhh yes. that is what my mom and dad call "payback"!!! i am reminded on a daily--and hourly--basis that she (like me!) cannot be good on her own and that she (like me!) needs a Savior. what a humbling thing it is to strive to lead your children to the Cross. it is a joy and it is a battle. but thankfully, it is not with our own strength that we guide caroline and ethan! we pray for many more days to train up these children in the Lord. what a blessing it is to see caroline fold her chubby little hands to pray (and to want to do it again and again) and to hear her request "LORD!" (the song "praise the Lord") as soon as we get in the car. (ok, so it's a toss up between that song and veggie tales these days!) i look back on the last year with so many precious memories of my first daughter, my sweet caroline. and i thank the Lord for every one of them.

we have a fun birthday party planned for her this evening, so stay tuned for pictures from the festivities! she has been saying, "party? cake! blow!" for the last few days.. she knows just what to do!

happy birthday, baby girl. we love you!