Seven years ago, I couldn’t picture this day. Seven years ago, we were in the midst of sleepless nights with a newborn, long days of couch cuddles, and learning how to be a new family of three. Those days were beautiful, and long, and sometimes felt as if they would never end. Then as she got a bit older, it felt as if time passed at a relatively normal speed. The toddler years were challenging in their own way, but fun and exciting and full of laughter. And now with each passing year, it seems as if time has sped up somehow. Time sped up, and here we are, at the age of seven. An age I could never picture her being. Why? Because it seemed so distant. Five seemed like a “big” age, and was a hard pill to swallow when it happened. Six paved the way for Kindergarten and all that came with being in school. Seven though, seven just reminds me that she’s really turning into a little girl. It brings the passing of time into light of the harsh reality that it is.
She is seven. And in the year leading up to seven, so much has changed, and so much has stayed the same. We still love adventures, going for walks, and spending our days together outside. We love our weekly trips to the local library, cuddling up on the couch later to dive into a new adventure. We love cooking and baking in the kitchen, and chasing the chickens around the yard. And yet, with the year seven in the palm of our hands and the chaotic year of 2020 coming to a close, life also feels a bit more fragile, special, worth savoring.
I know that life must go on, but I always cherish the little reminders to slow down, rest, and enjoy the moment a bit more. And so she’s seven. Here’s to another, beautiful year.
She’s beautiful, sweet and precious in every way! Love you all!!!