Annika turned 1 (almost 3 months ago, who's counting)

Pink cupcake
Pink frosting
Princess

She needed some convincing to put the pretty in her mouth.

Mom remembered the bow! At the end.

Annika with Annika Louise. Her scripture is Ephesians  2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.  Annika means grace.

Daddy with his mini me.

Aunt Krista (who was here for your birthday!) got Ani her first cowgirl boots.



Thanks to my friend, Kelli, Annika celebrated her birthday in style in this sweet cucake bubble, like a true Southern belle.  Kelli drove it to our house the day of her birthday, so I made her stay for dinner.

I served a yummy homemade macaroni and cheese (recipe on the back of the Velveeta box), applesauce and broccoli.  A perfect 1 year old birthday dinner.

Annika,

You are so loved in our family.  You are the perfect princess even when you copy Levi and growl.  At 1, you aren't walking yet.  At 14, almost 15 months, you are trying so hard to get it.  You take about 2 or 3 steps and then fall on purpose.  Then you look up and make sure we all saw you and clap and smile for yourself.  And you do it all over again.  The other day, I videotaped you for 5 minutes doing that process.

You are very cautious.  Daddy says it's because you have to watch out for Levi.  And you do.  The first 2 times you stood up to your stroller walker, you got knocked down.  The first time you crawled up the stairs, you fell down them.  The second time you fell down the stairs, Levi was waiting for you at the top and you had some "help".  Now, when you want to come downstairs, you sit about 4 feet away from the top of the stair and yell until someone comes to carry you down.

Recently, you have started to sign "eat" and say "E!" at the same time.  I figured out tonight that means drink too.

You are a momma's girl.  And I love it.  The times you want daddy are when he has something to eat and when you don't want to go to bed.

We are amazed at your girlness.  You pick up a baby or a stuffed animal and you put it on your shoulder and pat its back.  Then you put it in your stroller walker and push it around.  I saw you pick up one of your brothers little bags with a car painted on it and put it on your shoulder like a little purse.  

You have a pink bear that Nana gave you when you were born that you really love.

I have loved watching your little personality come out and I can't wait to see more.

Annika, you have 3 big brothers wrapped around your finger.  They adore you and the feeling seems to be mutual.

Love you forever,

Mamma

Confession

I hate Halloween.

I hate the planning for the costumes.

I hate buying costumes.

I hate all the scary stuff. 

I might have changed my tune this year.

Because of a borrowed zebra. But mostly because of the sweet girl inside the costume. 

Because of a really happy, jumping Buzz.
A tough Jengo Fette.
A sweet Boba Fette.
And the cutest zebra ever.

And a fun neighborhood that trick or treats early, just for the neighbors.
(That's our house! I need to write an I love our house post.)

Fire Ants

I have two fire ant bites on my left foot.

It's red, swollen, itchy and fiery.

It hurts to walk, to bend my foot.

It hurts to wear my flip flop or any other shoe.

I know that I get bad reactions to fire ants.

I avoid them at all costs.

Yesterday, at the park, Levi walked into a fire ant pile.

Immediately, they start crawling on him and biting him.

He screamed.

I ran over.

Saw the ants.

Scooped him up and started brushing them off of him.

Knowing full well that I would probably get bit somewhere.

But, I had to rescue Levi.

I had to protect him.

His safety was more important than my pain.

And I would knowingly and willingly do it all over again.

As I walk around today with some pain in my foot, I was struck.

Jesus does that for me.

He runs into the fire ant pile to rescue me.

And He would do it again.

And again.

And again.

That's grace.