Isabelle comes racing into this birthday with so many milestones recently tucked under her belt.  She is a few math pages away from being done with her very first year of school.  She is using her newly acquired reading skills to read piles of books with great gusto.  And she just last week went from grumpily not even wanting to try her bike without training wheels to suddenly zipping all around as if she’s been riding training-wheel-free for months.

There are so many things I love about Isabelle.  She has the world’s best giggle, and paired with her half-moon laughing eyes and sweetest-ever grin, it’s impossible to not smile along with her.  She gives the biggest, tightest, never-gonna-let-go hugs, and though she is tall and strong for her age, she tries her best to curl up onto a lap as often as possible.  She is a helper and a do-er, and just can’t ever seem to sit still for long.  She will offer to do any and every task in the kitchen, clear dishes from the table, and carry heavy baskets of laundry to me for sorting…though she doesn’t love picking up after herself, which baffles me a little bit, but I think underlying it all is a real desire to serve and bless others and she hasn’t quite figured out how cleaning up her own messes accomplishes that.

Isabelle is an endless fount of questions.  She’s observant and curious and really wants to know so much.  And she is so articulate in her speech.  Some of my children have been less than eloquent in how they speak, but Isabelle has a natural ability to put words together clearly and creatively.  I truly look forward to reading her writing as she gets older.

She loves to dance, and will break into dancing whenever she hears music.  She is graceful and original, and as with so many things with our Sweetpea, my heart is so full watching her.

Some of Isabelle’s favorite things right now are playing dress-up, watching Pinkalicious, headbands, desserts, bike riding (!), playing Guess-Who (she has an uncanny ability to win at this), going for walks, and snuggling.  Her least favorite thing is cooked broccoli.

I am so thankful for Isabelle.  She lives life with abandon and loves fiercely.  She is encouraging and kind and so much fun.  I love this little girl utterly and completely.  She has been an indescribable gift these six years and I only hope that time will perhaps seem to slow down just a little so I can fully wrap my heart and mind around all the wonderful moments she will bring in coming years.