Happy Birthday!!

Today, 12 years ago, we welcomed our sweet little 7 lb. 12 oz. daughter into the world around 2 PM. She has been such a joy to our family and I cannot believe how quickly she is growing up!

Just a few pics of her journey through life so far.... :)

Newborn

3 months old

6 months old

3 years old and holding her "Muffin"!! <3 Muffin was her faithful friend through the first 6 years of her life. He went with her EVERYWHERE!! :) He got left behind in a shopping cart at Target, 35 minutes from home, when she was maybe 3? And since her mommy & daddy loved her so much, we drove back the next day to pick him up after calling and finding out that someone turned him in at the lost and found. He was hidden so well in her play kitchen one night that we were exhausted looking for him before she went to bed!! :) So many Muffin memories. Now he sits on a shelf in her bedroom! :) I think there is still a little soft spot in her heart for him! :)

4 years old

5 years old

The summer she was 4 was a big deal for Tamara.....we moved to FL. She did well with the move and made new friends quickly. It wasn't long till she lived longer in FL than in PA, but sadly, she forgot a lot of faces from PA! 

6 years old

Also 6 years old

I think I had got a special deal from Walmart...really not sure why we did 6 year old pics twice?

Our first mother/daughter picture....she was 6 and I was 29 :)

And one with her brother....I think they were 7 and 9 here.

 I cannot thank God enough for the great brother/sister relationship these two have had. Granted, they had fights, but they also loved to play and imagine together. It never ceased to amaze me how they could make up stories about whatever they were playing with. They would both throw in comments and make their imaginations work together. Many times I wished for a mini tape recorder to catch some of the funny things they came up with. 

They still can be caught doing this from time to time!! :) 

I think right now is probably the toughest time for them. Danny is 14 and getting out of the "playing with toys" stage, and sometimes she can't understand why he would rather read or shoot his guns and not play with her. But, I think in another year or two they will be best friends again in a new sort of way! 

So right now, it's my time to make her feel useful and to be there for her to take up some of the slack. And I've been enjoying it! :)

This is now.....12 years since that wonderful, painful, exhilarating day in January 2001!! :)

I love her so much and I am really enjoying time with her....she is becoming a fine young lady and fulfilling a dream I've had all my life....having a daughter of my own! I thank God for blessing our family with her!!

She is most definitely her Daddy's girl!! They are able to relate very well, since they have similar personalities  I am thankful for the relationship that has been forming between them! He is her protector, her shoulder to lean on, her love....for now and they share a love of humor!! :)

I cherish this picture!!

"A Father is a Son's first HERO & a Daughter's first LOVE"

Happy Birthday Tamara.....we LOVE you!!

She is looking forward to spending a day with her best friend, shopping!! :)