Happy Birthday to My Gracey 3-18-2012

Height and Weight: 41 inches and 33 lbs.

Fave Color: Pink, I mean Blue. Blue. (She loves both of these)
Fave Movie: George of the Jungle. Kung Fu Panda. Barbie Musketeers. Parent Trap.
Fave TV Show: Angelina Ballerina. Curious George.
Fave Food: COOKIES! apple juice. pancakes. doritos. cracker cereal (this is graham crackers and milk)

Fave Treat: Oreos and milk.
Fave restaurant: Hominy Grill! Chick-fil-a
Something you hate to eat: tobacco sauce. bugs. and poop. (I certainly hope she's never tried that last one)
Fave Book: What are you so Grumpy About?  Fancy Nancy
Fave Toy: my Barbies. my wedding barbies.

Fave Outfit: Dresses. My Zora Dress from Oma and my new dress from Aunt Jen that is long and I trip over.
Fave Activity: Playing in my playroom. Playing in the mud and dirt. I like to do art.
Fave School Subject: Playtime
What do you want to be when you grow up: A Princess. A Horsey rider first. actually, a musketeer first. Then a horsey rider. Then a Princess.
What is something that makes you happy: When you nuggle me and cuddle me. and when you love me all over and tickle me and make me nort.
What is something that makes you sad: When you pank me. When you get angry at me.
Best Friend (s): Braden. (I don't even know who this is!!--she says he plays husband and wife with him in Pre-school, yikes) Hannah and Parker.
One Wish or Dream you have for yourself: "That my cousins don't forget about me. I wish that I can be a REAL musketeer and look like a musketeer."

How would YOU describe yourself: "I like vegetables and cookies. I love my friends. I'm a silly girl. "

How do OTHERS describe you: "That I'm cute". - I asked her what other people think of her and that's what she said. 

If I were to describe you I would say you are ENERGETIC, silly, random, easily distracted, clever, emotional, sensitive, dramatic, overly affectionate, imaginative, curious, playful, inclusive, eager, attentive (to teachers and anyone but me), family oriented, adventurous, SASSY, cautious and food oriented. 

You are happiest and the most well behaved when you are outside exploring your forest or playing with Mommy and Daddy. 

You are SUPER excited to be a big sister. You talk about the baby all the time and about how "helpful" you are going to be...I can't wait. 

You love your family, and your friends. You love and adore your cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents and get homesick for them quite often. 

You are a drama queen. You throw fits and tantrums like no one's business and talk to me like a 16 yr. old firecracker quite frequently. 

You hate to clean up even though one of your biggest talents is making messes. 

You love to help me and do favors for me, I hope this is something that continues. 

You will try any type of food and tell me at almost every meal how good it is and what a good "cooker" I am. 

You love to do art. You love to paint, play with clay, playdoh, play in the mud "making soup", make birds nests, do crafts. You tell us all the time that you're such a good "arter". 

You love stories and love to be read to at night.

Topher says you are full of life, energy, drama and love. And although that's a much shorter description of you than what I said, it's quite accurate. :)
Thoughts on you from the past year: I thought that it was supposed to be the "terrible twos", but the threes ended up being so SO SO much worse. I'm not going to lie, you get harder and harder as you get older. You're just too darn smart for your own good and you have enough energy to spread out among 5 people and have them all be in the average range of human energy. You are a very dramatic girl and very loud and emotional. You are so communicative, but sometimes that just means yelling, screaming and crying at me to communicate what you want. Although you have gotten harder in so many ways, you have also gotten smarter, even more curious, even more imaginative, more thoughtful AND more fun. 
You drive me crazy on a daily basis, but you also have the ability to really make me smile.  You say and do some of the FUNNIEST things, sometimes they're funny right then, and sometimes I have to calm down first, and then they're funny later. ;) 
I love your giggle and when you really laugh. There are times when we get a huge, genuine giggle out of you and it brightens your whole face and I can't help but laugh as well. I love how joyous you can be. 
You are a miracle, and when I take the time to remember how lucky we are and how lucky you are, I can't believe how full of life, laughter, energy, joy and SPUNK you are. 
You have enjoyed learning this year and going to pre-school. You have enjoyed exploring Charleston. You love going to the beach, the aquarium, downtown, playgroup, the children's museum and anywhere else to explore with me. 
You have developed a lot intellectually, and I can't believe the expanse of your vocabulary sometimes. You have also started to really learn some scripture stories and to enjoy being in Sunbeams. You came home last week after Easter Sunday and told me "Some people loved Jesus. Some people didn't like Jesus. The people that didn't like him were mean to him and put nails in him hands and in him sides and killed him. His Mommy was really sad and cried. But he came back to life! We're all going to come back to life Mommy, when we're resurrected!" -Wow! That impressed me. You also gave a talk in Sunbeams about prophets and it made me cry.  You were so innocent and sweet and happy to be there and sharing your thoughts with everyone.
You are a rollercoaster ride Gracey.  Sometimes, I'm not sure I can handle the ride, but, I'm staying on anyway, no matter how many loops, drops, spins and tumbles you take me for, I will hang in there.  Because no one has ever had the capacity to make me feel as strongly as you do; love, anger, frustration, adoration, admiration, awe.  I love you.  You are my sweet, feisty little girl and I love you more than I thought I could love a little person.  You drive me to my wits end, but I love you for it.  No one could "refine" me better than you. :)  Thanks for coming down here, and sticking with me to make me a better person. I love you and I'm excited..and nervous ;) , for another year with you. :)