to gnome me is to love me: happy belated birthday, my gracie girl

only a month late here, but it is a friday the thirteenth, just like the day when you were born. oh, what a day. i know i probably write the same stuff every year, but what a day. i had it all planned out. a 5 page document for the grandmas & poppy to care for ben while we would be in the hospital for a short time when you were born. your birth didn't go quite as planned & you ended up in the nicu for a few weeks.

thank goodness for family to care for benjo so i could stay by your side. i kept saying to myself that this would only be short term, but at the time, i was a mess. i wish i could have just "let go & let god" be in control.

gracie was going to be ben's name had he been a gal. once we had heard gracie girl

by ben folds, my mind was set i was having a gracie. that entire song just gets me. here's the end of the lyrics:
"one day you’re gonna wanna go

i hope we taught you everything
you need to know
gracie girl
there will always be a part of me
nobody else is ever gonna see
but you and me
a little girl
my Gracie girl"

you are the perfect little gracie. just like in that song.

momma & daddio loove ben folds. our wedding song was the luckiest by him. which some might think is kinda strange, but it was us.

my dear justin, "where was i before the day that i first saw your lovely face? now I see it everyday. and i know that i am the luckiest" (lyrics from the song. but you do make me feel pretty durn lucky.

now back to you miss grace, gracie by ben folds & good old amazing grace just bring tears to my eyes thinking about you & how precious your little life is.

how you've grown in 3 years! some pics from the past. (i realized going through all of our pictures, i sure do take a lot of you kids)

easter time

working on "craps" (crafts) with benj. you are always hands on & not afraid to get dirty!

(your 1 year old birthday at namaw & poppy's)

lovin with bub

there's some hair on ya!

so pretty!

(your 2 year old birthday shot at the beach)

playing in the fall leaves while ben was at preschool

you are growing up to be quite independent (i think you get that from auntie jen, even though she's a few hundred miles away). i am so proud of all you can do. you are a big gurl, you let me know all the time & you can do it yourself. sometimes your dress might be on backwards or your swim bottoms are in one leg, but you do it. all by yourself.

we spent your actual birthday this year on vacation with namaw & poppy at the beach. can't beat that! we all made your horsey cake,

we made princess crowns

& had a pony pinata (only 1 place in the area sold pinatas, but we got ya one).

& got to play on the beach & in the ocean.

i think you had a fun day.

you don't look too much like your momma, but i can still dress you up in my old clothes (at least for now) & you are cute as a button.

here you are telling the world you are 3. i love this shot of you!

preschool starts for you soon. you are super duper excited & momma is too for you. but i will miss our little time together. you are my little helper & my super duper sweetie pie. you tell me "momma, i wuv you" about a bazillion times a day & i can't get enough of that. thank you.

we love you, our little cowgirl with all our hearts!

(in this picture you have your tounge stuck out, like you always do when you are workin real hard!)