Keys to my heart

It is hard to believe our baby girl is already 7 years old. Although they say time flies by, I remember so much of Shelby in slow motion. I can see her yawning her newborn yawn, picture her learning to walk, remember her bravery when walking into kindergarten for the first time, and so on. But I guess to look at her now, it does seem she is instantly 7. Her grown up teeth are coming in and her hair color is darkening. She has developed a vocabulary that amazes me and understands sarcasm and humor. Sometimes, to my detriment, she seems older than 7. Shane and I can no longer spell words to disguise what we are trying to say. We have to be careful about what we watch on TV since she wonders about so many things now. She wants to help scramble the eggs and vacuum the carpet. She has started earning an allowance for 5 jobs she must complete. (Thanks to my friend Debi, she pays us if we complete her jobs for her.) Sitting down with a lengthy book to read is one of her favorite things. Her bike riding skills and ability to play soccer prove her level of determination. My list could go on and on. I am happy to see her growing and blooming. It is wonderful to see her abilities take shape. I am so blessed to hold dear those memories as I watch her celebrate another year of life. That is the key to a content "mommy" heart.

We decided this year to have a small get together in Jacksonville for family and have a large party for her playmates in Georgia. The week before her birthday, Shane and I took her to eat her favorite, crablegs. The night of her birthday, we went to eat Italian with Laura Kate, her mom Kerry, & Anna and her mom Carol. Shelby had Spumoni ice cream, our favorite, while they sang Happy Birthday to her. For Shelby's birthday party, we to Monkey Joe's, a jumpy place. She ran around with her buds so much we lost track of her. The kids built up a good sweat for about 1 1/2 hours until it was time for cake, ice cream cake that is. Of course, if I had a jack hammer I could have cut the cake better. The kids did not care, it was still incredibly yummy! Shelby insisted on opening her gifts and enjoyed seeing the presents each child had picked out just for her birthday. Afterwards, Shelby went home with her best bud, Laura Kate, to spend the night. Her week long celebration had come to an end. But our celebration of her growth and happiness continues on day by day.