Happy 11th Kaitlyn!

I love walking this journey with you!

My oh my. Kaitlyn is getting so old!!! I remember my 11th birthday but only from pictures that I've seen I think...and now I have an 11 year old daughter!! Time is flying by! I have loved seeing Kaitlyn mature and transition from a little girl into a pre-teen. No longer are there 'brush you hair' battles...she brushes her hair all the time and is normally awake before me and as I groggily meander out of my room in the morning, she is there just putting the finishing touches on her hair or outfit! Eventhough Kaitlyn still plays outside a bunch, I am finding that she spends more time inside doing crafts or journaling or listening to music. That being said, Kaitlyn is always up for a game of 'pioneers' outside or playing 'house' or 'restaurant' in the tree house, or a making up a fun trampoline game or playing hide and seek with walkie talkies. She is super creative and imaginative...always dressing up as someone or dressing others up in a costume of some sort as part of the game they are playing. She loves fashion and hair but also loves art and music. Kaitlyn still plays her guitar despite not having formal lessons...she occasionally will play worship with me on a 'home church' Sunday morning at our house.
It has been a roller coaster of hello's and goodbye's for Kaitlyn these past 2 years....but she is such a resilient girl...friends are super important to her and she has had to say a lot of goodbye's to good friends. She seems to do that well though...always believing their friendship will last despite the distance and making an effort via email and FaceTime to maintain those relationships. As a result, she has a best friends in Australia, Kenya and Canada. Friends around the world!

Breakfast in bed for the birthday girl!

As she grows and matures it has been encouraging to see her conscience grow as well..admitting more readily when she has done wrong and asking forgiveness without being prompted to apologize. Kaitlyn can't wait to be of 'babysitting age' and has purposefully read an old babysitting manual we had laying around and has been practising her skills on a sweet almost 2 year old boy that lives on the compound with us. She has won him over with her sweetness and patience and persistence in befriending him. Now he wants Kaitlyn to push him on the swing, and not his dad! I know she will be a favourite babysitter of many kids soon!
Kaitlyn has wanted her own room forever and just two weeks ago she moved into our spare room (no Air Conditioning in this room...hence the spare room) and has made it quite the cozy space. Despite boxes and random things being stored in there...Kaitlyn has rearranged this and that and hung up some of her pictures and art and organized shelves and a bedside table and loves her new space. It is cool enough to sleep without an AC but she may have to move back in with Lily and Evie come hot season next year. She is just getting to that age when she wants more alone time...less '4 year old sister climbing all over my bed' time! :)
We love Kaitlyn! She is such an encouragement to Phil and I to keep on going in our parenting journey! :) On those challenging days with Evie or when I feel like I am saying the same things over and over again...we can see who Kaitlyn is becoming and how she has changed and matured and know that our hard work will pay off....eventually for our other two!
Happy Birthday to our sweet first born. We love you. You are such a blessing to us and your sisters!

The party crew...Ice Cream Sundays!