Really, my girl, where have FIVE years gone?! Our sweet Caroline has turned into a young lady before our very eyes this year. You bring so much sparkle and joy and laughter into our lives every single day. The Lord knew that we needed our sweet girl in the middle to help keep all of these crazy boys on their toes! And that you do, my girl, that you surely do.
I hardly know where to start when I try to describe you as you are right now. The funny stories I could tell of the delightfully precious things you do and say everyday would fill pages and pages! Our family lovingly refers to you as the "Stare Master", because you've apparently inherited your Paw Paw's love of people watching. You watch people intently, whether it be someone in our family or a stranger that we're walking past and you notice details. Your deepest desire at this time is to "be a mother", as you always say with such longing on your sweet face. I feel your eyes on me all the time, watching my every move, studying intently. It's funny to me, but even more so it's incredibly humbling to know that I am the one given the task of modeling for you what the life of a wife and mother looks like. You're always asking if I'll be sure and give you a certain recipe (or five) when you're a mother, or where you can buy a waffle maker when you're a mother or I'll be sure you know how to sew before you're a mother. You are not going to let yourself go into adulthood unprepared!
You have such a generous heart and are always looking for a reason to give your money away, usually to one of your brothers. We don't even try talking you out of it anymore because you just insist (and we've realized it's silly of us to talk you out of being generous with your things!). But you're generosity doesn't stop with your things, as you're also sweetly generous with your time. Many mornings I've come upstairs after breakfast to find mine and daddy's bed already made and tooth paste waiting for me on my tooth brush. It never fails to make me laugh. You're also preciously quick to slide a barstool over to the cabinet, choose a glass, and then make a drink for daddy when you hear his keys slide into the doorknob at night after a long day at work. You love to welcome him in with something yummy (and you know his favorites well!). You adore him.
If anyone should be tempted to think that you'd be happier with a sister amongst all of these brothers of yours then they don't really know you! You are exactly what these boys need and you know it full well. You take your job of Mother Hen very, very seriously and I have every confidence that if I needed to be away from home for any length of time that you would have no trouble keeping things running for me (and that you'd love every second!). We all love your seemingly perfect mixture of girlishness and pink and lip gloss and baby dolls, with rough and tough, weapon toting playfulness. You are able to fully jump right in on a game of battle with your bothers in one minute and then convince them to play house with you (playing the roles you give them - sometimes your "father", sometimes your dog!) the very next. Your brothers lives are much more rounded because of you!
Caroline, you are a blessing and a joy to your family. Your heart is so soft; you're genuinely willing to be corrected and are always eager to make things right when you've done something wrong. That is a rare trait and one that we pray you will carry into your life with you (you know, when you're a mother). Daddy and I could not be more thankful that God chose us to be your parents and will thank Him every day for each minute that He gives us with you. We've seen you begin to grow from a little girl into a young lady, slowly but surely, in recent weeks and months and we love the lady you are becoming. Happy (very belated) birthday, Peach!
We love you, sweet Caroline!
