Happy 10th Birthday Raegan!

Raegan,

Well, here we are. An entire decade of life is behind you. You are officially a preteen. Two whole hands old. At times it seems like forever and others it seems as if I blinked and here we are. I’ll be honest... You turning ten is so hard for me. While you want to be double digits and gain big girl status, my heart sinks just a little. Ten years ago, when you made your way into this world, my life turned upside down and sideways. From the moment you were placed in my arms, I knew you were one of the greatest joys I would ever have in my life.

You are silly and delightful and stubborn as all get out. There is absolutely zero chance of anyone else getting the last word in, which is both infuriating and admirable. You sing and dance all the time, which makes me beyond happy. My favorite thing about you sweet girl, is that you are your OWN person…..with your OWN thoughts and dreams. I love just listening to you with all your emotion and learning every little thing about you.

I can’t be more proud of the person you are becoming. You think deeply (beyond your years), love hard, but still cuddle your favorite stuffed animal without any embarrassment (“Chip”). Your current loves are: art/coloring/drawing, chicken, fruit roll-ups or fruit snacks, playing with friends or socializing in general, chips and queso, and your family.  OH WAIT....and dogs. The tables have turned and we now find ourselves pulling you out of bed every morning versus you jumping on us before the sun wakes up. You’re totally a night owl and getting you into bed is a feat in and of itself. You still won’t a touch a single vegetable (except when you pretend to eat a corn kernel), but we make due with fruit and hope for the best.

I’m excited to see what ten will bring. You are growing up my sweet girl. While I can be nostalgic for my chubby faced toddler and the little girl who mispronounced things (like cheerleader), I am so eager to watch you grow. You have a huge heart and care deeply about others. Sometimes that leads to you getting hurt, which I despise. I want to protect your little tender heart. However, you’re learning and working on how to overcome and navigate the hard things. It’s hard even for adults to do that and I’m so proud of you for trying.

There is a fire inside you that burns so bright, and I promise, as your Mommy, to make sure that never goes out. Happy 10th birthday, Raegan. We love you to the moon and back. I can’t wait to see what double digits bring!

Senior YEAR!!!!

 Senior year and a little sister that tags along!!