Dear Tate,

Dear Tate,

Ten.  Oh man, your age has gone from single digits to double and I don't know if my heart can take it.  You've grown up so much this year in so many ways.  You're still the sweetest most compliant little boy but you're also starting to figure out what you really like and what you don't so much and you'll let us know.  But you'll still go along with something you're not into if we ask you to.  You've grown in height this year. You don't look like a kid any more.  You look like a young man and it wigs me out.  You've started letting go of my hand when we're in public which makes me so sad but you're ten now so I suppose it's time.  Your shoes are so big and your hands are reaching octaves without any trouble.  It's so weird.  I absolutely love watching you grow.  You're always the same brilliant little guy who would quote entire books before you were 1 and a half and burst into tears when you hear a sad story.  But as you get older there are new things to love like how you help your sisters put on their shoes without being asked and manage homework with considerably less stress, and have more grown up conversations about things with us and you always bring something new to the table.  I love you, ten year old Tate.  You're a pretty awesome ten year old.  

This year we've traveled to Egypt, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Czech Republic and Germany and of course Saudi and the USA.  You loved Egypt.  The history and mythology especially fascinated you.  You came home and found out there was a series by the same author as Percy Jackson that was based on Egyptian mythology and you read the whole series in a couple of weeks.  You had a blast in Netherlands and loved learning about the WWII history and were really struck by the stories of Anne Frank and Corrie Ten Boom.  We weren't sure how you would handle skiing.  Coordination isn't your strongest suit and we were a little nervous that you'd let your nerves get the best of you when strapped to some skis at the top of a hill.  But you completely surprised us.  You had ski school one morning and then went back for the afternoon and by the end of that first day you'd moved over to the big teaching hill and were making turns and stopping at the bottom like it was no big thing.  You didn't seem nervous one bit.  Moments like that, Tate, where 7 year old you would have totally come apart being faced with a big icy hill but 10 year old you just take in the instruction and figure it out without letting your worries rule you, make me feel like I'm going to burst with pride.  It was a big win that you enjoyed skiing.  Would you rather be inside with a book?  Probably.  But you did it two days in a row and didn't complain or have a negative thing to say about it and that was pretty great.  Last year you had some rough moments, culminating in a really awful episode in the Egyptian Museum and we decided we needed to see a counselor in Denver while we were there last summer.  You had eye surgery to correct the cross which went really well.  You were SO excited to be glasses-free and pretty convinced that no one would recognize you without your glasses.  We were in Denver for a whole month and saw a great counselor every week.  She gave you a lot of tools and we loved having some more ideas of how to put you at ease when you are overwhelmed with emotions and it's been just so much better so far this school year.  You still have days, particularly when you go from school to club, to scouts, and then home and you still have to do homework that you just melt down because you're so worn out.  Generally you can recover quickly if you just take a little break.  Tate, you're just growing up so much.  

You read constantly.  You bring a book to read on the bus, you're reading as you walk in the door, at the table if I don't make you put it away so you will eat, on the couch, at the piano bench and for hours in bed at night.  Mythology and fantasy are definitely your favorite genres.  You can be coaxed to read other things but you'd always rather be reading those two genres.  Your favorite series this year has probably been wings of fire.  You're a huge fan of dragons and your mind and drawings are filled with dragons and ideas for your own graphic novel which would be a mashup of your favorite fantasy books.  

Your handwriting is getting a little rough this year.  Last year for a couple of months we had you work with an occupational therapist to help build your confidence that you CAN write neatly if you just take your time but now you just don't want to take your time and you get frustrated with us when we ask you to write it again.  We're trying not to get on you too much about it because it's not the worst thing in the world but we just know you can be neater if you slowed down a bit.  

You're very smart at math and finish your homework pretty quickly nowadays which is a huge blessing.  Once in a while you still get caught up feeling overwhelmed by what feels to you to be an insurmountable mountain of work but most of the time you're able to take things one step at a time after school and get things done.  

You're a great pianist.  We're still working on detailed work when learning songs on your own.  You can chart a piece that you've already learned really well independently but learning a new one without me sitting next to you is a little harder because you have to really pay attention to the notes and rhythms and how the right and left hands fit together and you'd rather me walk you through it.  You CAN do it, but you don't like to take the extra few seconds to figure it all out and you want to just play until it sounds right.  We're working on that.  

You've always loved music and this year your confidence singing and dancing is pretty adorable.  You dance with absolute abandon and it's so fun to watch.  Your moves are your very own and you love them and are quite certain you look the coolest of the cool.  I need to get you in a hip hop dance class next year because I think you'd really like to have a little repertoire of moves in your pocket.  You've gathered a little collection of pop songs that light you up and you want to look them up on youtube every time we're driving somewhere.   You just discovered "High School Musical" so that's your recent favorite.  But "Drag Me Down" by One Direction and "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas are two of your favorite dance jams as well.  I used to wonder if you would ever want to be on stage but after watching a couple of middle school musicals with kids you look up to and seeing your Dad and I on stage this fall you're pretty excited for your chance to try out too.  I love that about you.  You are rarely embarrassed which as an easily embarrassed person, I admire so much.

You're still a pretty picky eater.  You'd prefer to stick to chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, sandwiches, pizza, and breakfast food for always.  But when I put vegetables on your plate and tell you that you need to eat a certain number of bites you'll do it without any complaining.  You might take quite a while, but you'll choke them down and that's a fantastic new change.  You don't have to like everything, kiddo.  We're just trying really hard to help you try new foods and get in the habit of eating fruits and veggies.  You know where our motivation comes from and that's why you don't fight it.  

You've got a couple of good friends.  Reece Weitzel is probably your closest.  You two are so much fun together.   You build cardboard forts or create imaginary worlds based on ALL of the books you two read.  You like hanging out with other kids but you don't often ask for play dates because you're pretty content hanging out with us and reading a book.  You had a movie night birthday party and you invited four boys from the ward (Reece Weitzel, Max Arnold, Jude Swensen, and Ben Weight) and one from school (Abubaqer), and you know what kiddo, they were the most polite, fun, friendly boys and your dad and I just stood in the kitchen watching you guys talk through the movie on the couches and said to each other, "If this is our son's peer group and this is the quality of kids he could be friends with through teenager years, maybe we should think about staying here longer."  You're in a really good place with school and friends and yourself.  I know that some rocky years are likely on the way, and I'm just dreading the time when you care what other people think about you or have friends say unkind things that leave you doubting yourself or wounded.  I hope this being completely happy about who you are stays with you because Tate, you're pretty magnificent.  

Last spring you played basketball and did gymnastics and learned tennis with Wendy Weitzel.  She was an amazing teacher but she's been a little too busy to teach this year.  I think we might want to get you into lessons somehow though because you were pretty dang good at tennis.  You've got a great arm and you got to be pretty accurate with your swings.  You don't really care much about sports.  You'll do it if we tell you to pick one but you don't love it and you're starting to realize that it's not a natural thing for you.  You're just not really sure what to do and the next step isn't apparent to you while you're playing or practicing.  But you show up with a good attitude every time and that is something!  Your dad is coaching you in basketball again this spring and again, not your favorite.  You're trying but just don't know what to do.  We're gonna figure out something you can do for exercise that you can enjoy.  It's okay that sports are not your thing.  You did run two 5ks this summer in Utah.  I was so impressed with how you were able to push through being uncomfortable to finish those races.

Tate, you are the most wonderful first child.  Your sisters love you and when you take time to read to them or wrestle with them they are on top of the world.  You and Finn can play together all day long and rarely fight.  You're such good buddies together.  You've started reading Wings of Fire to him at night and often read long past when he's fallen asleep because you're just SO excited to read these stories to him and share your passion with your best buddy!  It's the sweetest.  Your dad and I love you to bits.  I have loved having a few solo night time jogs with you when you finish a book and you can jog for 3+ miles while recounting the entire plot.  I love when we have a little bit of alone time to let you just tell me everything you want to tell me.  So many times I have to tell you that you've got to stop the story you're telling me because you have work to do or lunch to eat or I have a tantrum to quiet or daughters to referee so when I get to just listen to you talk it makes me so happy.  We had a pretty epic mom/boys date in Egypt.  Glenn stayed with the girls on the cruise boat and you and Finn and I snuck away at 4am to go travel across Luxor to get in a hot air balloon and take off into the sky together.  You were all smiles about it until we got close to the basket.  The flames were SO loud, and were raining chunks of ash on us which terrified you as you got lifted up into the basket.  It was a VERY brave thing of you to do and once we got up in the air you and Finn and I had the most incredible view of Queen Hatshepsut's temple and the valley of the kings, and luxor and karnak temples from the sky.  I'll never forget how it felt to be with just the two of you.  These past four years with your sisters I've felt spread so thin.  We all love them so much but sometimes I feel like I get less real time with you and that hour in the sky was a huge mom-win.

Tate-o I love you.  I love your goofy faces, especially when you try to smile for pictures.  I love your enormous laugh.  I love your exuberant dance moves.  I love your drawings and skippy run and backpack so heavy with books.  I love your hugs and your tender heart.  Every primary teacher you've ever had has stories of you bursting into tears over some lesson or other because some of the stories are just so sad to you.  You can't handle the thought of someone being hurt or treated unjustly!  Recently it was when Joseph was sold into Egypt by his brothers.  You cried, saying that it was so unfair and how could the brothers do that?!  Your teacher tried to help you understand by saying, "What if Finn told you he was so much better than you and that he was supposed to be your ruler?  How would you feel?"  Your response was, "I would be completely fine with that.  I think Finn would be a great leader."  Your kind heart is noticed by everyone and your teachers and friends and friends' parents all recognize the positive and good kid that you are.  Tate, we are so proud to be your parents.  I can't think too hard about how little time I have left with my first little boy in our house.  It seems so short sometimes considering how lightning fast these past ten years have gone.  But I'm going to soak up every single second of it because I love being your mom.  

Happiest of birthdays, you wonderful kid.

The world is yours, Tate.

Love,

Mom

Dear Kenna,

Dear Kenna, 

You are FOUR!  How did that happen?!  Every year on your birthday we tell you about the day you were born and what we thought when we saw you for the first time.  You and your sister were the teensiest babies I'd ever seen and I love you both with a love that still makes me well up with tears when I think about it.  We adore you, Kenna Wenna Bing Bong.

This year has been a really busy year.  You've visited Egypt, the Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, and of course Saudi Arabia and the USA.  You're a pretty good little traveler.  When you are really tired you often have screaming fits that you can't easily calm yourself out of and occasionally make yourself  sick and throw up which is not great but it happened less this year than in the past which has left us hopeful!  You, like the rest of us, have a hard time shifting time zones and plugging along all day when you're tired but for the most part you're a traveling trooper.  This year you did your first couple of presentations for our travel research projects and you enjoyed having your own little expertise.  

You love learning new things and have fun demonstrating what you learn whether it's writing new letters you know on the sidewalk (you're favorite, for obvious reasons, is K), or showing us a picture you colored so meticulously and insisting that you need to hang it on your wall or that we need to hang it on our bedroom wall, or showing us new dance moves.   You love to learn and get excited about gaining new abilities.  We've been slowly easing you and your sister into workbook and letter flashcard time every day.  Both of you push back a bit when MOM wants to teach you something so we've been babystepping into that and you've finally hit your stride.  You love cutting practice pages and are getting to be quite the meticulous little writer too.  I hope that need you have for details stays with you in your schooling.

You and your sister were potty trained a few months after your third birthday and it almost broke us all.  Taryn dug in her heels for various reasons and refused to care because it was hard.  You were so very emotional about the whole process it was a little maddening and also heartbreaking.  You would NOT go to the bathroom alone.  But once we went to the bathroom you were so afraid to push out poop or let your pee go that it was just torturous to watch.  We'd go to the bathroom like it was a terrifying emergency over and over only to get there and have you jump off cheerfully insisting that you're actually fine.  It took you a lot of successes before you could trust us that you wouldn't get hurt and that having control of this situation could actually be freeing and not imprisoning.  So glad that situation is behind us.  There are still days when we're not quite there but you're really trying and girl, it's hard to ever be mad at you when you're trying because you want so much to please us.  

You love your sister. You can get her riled up faster than anyone else but you also are aware of her in a way I don't know if even you understand.  When she's having a bad day you cheer up and try your best to tow the line and help me out. And when she's having a good day you take your turn testing boundaries or letting loose.  It's so interesting to me that you two seem to take turns with each other as if you both know that I can't handle two melting toddlers all day.  Of course, that happens once in a while but for the most part you two give each other the space to deal with your struggles.  You guys can fight like cats and dogs but just in recent months you've become so much better at playing together.  Recently you'll just disappear into an imaginary game and play together so sweetly for hours.  It's not every day but these times are such a gift to me to watch you love each other and adapt to each other's suggestions for play.  You're both very strong little girls and seeing you develop abilities to be flexible has been so great.  

I'm not sure how you survive day to day let alone grow based on how much you eat every day.  You love every kind of fruit.  You'll eat at least 1 banana every day, usually 2.  They're your favorites.  You love yogurt drinks and almond/date energy balls.  You've decided you don't like bread so sandwiches are out and you don't like pizza either and most breakfasts are a little tricky that way.  You'll eat your waffles or pancakes throughout the morning if I leave them on the table but you're just not starving enough to put them away right away and you don't love them.  You skip dinner most nights.  Once in a while you'll surprise us by gobbling down something we have for dinner but most of the time you just pass. 

You love to help in the kitchen.  Throwing things in the blender and turning it on for our morning shake is your favorite job and if I start it up before you're out of bed you come down the stairs or hallway screaming that you want to help.  How could I do that without you?!  You're always up for making treats to share or writing notes to cheer someone up.  You're a real sweetheart, Kenna.  Ever since you were a baby you've been my deep feeler.  You feel things so much deeper than your siblings and it almost looks painful sometimes.  You like things just so and when you inevitably misplace some tiny toy you've been carrying around, or can't find a specific crayon you want, or don't get the exact number of grapes you want, you are completely broken in two.  It's adorable and traumatizing at the same time because it's sometimes tricky to talk you down again.  You don't always show the deep embarrassment and guilt when you get in trouble but it's there just under the surface as you put on a stubborn face.  You want to be loved and snuggled and hugged and cheered for and when you do something disappointing you feel it deeply.  

We moved to a new house just a month ago and I think you've adjusted really well.  You're still sharing a room with your sister and we'll eventually bunk your beds.  You struggled at first to get to sleep and stay asleep in a new space but you've adjusted.  I think all the extra space so you and your sister can find different places to get away from each other once in a while has been a help.  We all really miss our cul-de-sac though and you miss our old house.  Just a week ago we were driving past our old place and you asked, "Mom, is someone new going to move into our house?"  Yeah, baby they are.  "And when they are tired of it can we please have it back?"  Oh that broke my heart.  We moved into our house on 7th Court when you were 9 months old.  It's where you learned to crawl and walk and run and dance and it was sad to leave it.  But we'll make equally lovely memories together in this new place though. 

You've got a musical soul, Kenna.  You cannot hold still when you hear music playing and if there is any character in the music you'll be running for a costume so you can sing and dance in character.  Your dramatic facial expressions and cape swishing and dizzying twirls are so endearing.  You love to sing and try really hard to listen to the words over and over again so you can get them in your head and sing them by yourself all day long.  

You're a little bookworm.  We clean up and put away every day but throughout the day you just grab books off shelves and out of boxes and by the end of the day you've carried and looked at and spread books around the whole house.  You spend your quiet time every day pouring over books and singing and playing with toys so happily all by yourself.  You seem to really enjoy that time recharging on your own and I often find you "reading" stories to yourself out loud.  You're going to be a busy little reader because you can't get enough of new stories.

You love playing with anything tiny.  We got you guys a little doll house and the teensy things inside were so wonderful to you.  You especially loved the tiny toilet and the tiny toilet brush.  You carried those around for days obsessively scrubbing the tiny toilet all day.  That's your favorite real cleaning chore too.  You and Taryn argue over who's turn it is to clean the toilet.  So funny.  You also love your little pop beads and shopkins.  Anything tiny makes your heart so happy.  You could also do crafts from craft kits every day.  I brought some home for different holidays and you're always so bummed when the kits are gone so we have to jump on pinterest and find new little projects to do.  

Kenna you are a darling little miss.  You love people.  You have thrived in Sunbeams so far this year and you are going to do great in K4 next Fall.  You are so ready for school.  Hopefully we can get you in a little dance class too because that would make your life complete.  I love the way you twirl in any skirt or dress we put on just to see how much it floats.  I love the way you write and color with tiny little cautious strokes.  I love the way you run kicking your heels up because you think it's prettier.  I love the serious look you give me when I give you the wrong answer, tipping your face down and looking up at me with those dark chocolate eyes over that tiny serious brow.  You are going to do some incredible things with your life, sweet girl.  I want to squeeze you all day long and I have loved these years with you and your sister at home and I'll miss you when you're in someone else's arms for a few hours each day next year.  I am so glad you're my girl, Kenna baby.

Happy happy birthday, sweetie.

The world is yours.

Love,

Mom

Dear Taryn,

Dear Taryn,

Oh little miss you are a ball of energy.  I cannot believe you are four years old.  It went so fast and yet I feel every second of those four years because we have really lived them.  They have been so short and so long.  I love you so much.  Your highs are so high.  Tight squeezes with your whole body while you squeal in my ear kind of high and your lows are just as physical, stomping, slamming, hitting and shaking with fury.  You feel everything so deeply and most of the time you just let it right out.  If you're frustrated you let us know.  If you're really happy and you're feeling the love, everyone gets a dose of it with a handmade picture and a candy taped on or a big squeeze and an "I love you SO much!"  Frequently when you're feeling the love I get some of my most flattering compliments from you because they come from such a genuine place.  "Mom, these pancakes are amazing.  You are the best cooker in the whole world!" "Mom, I love your tights.  Those are really beautiful!"  

This year you've visited Egypt, Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, and of course Saudi Arabia and the USA.  You've become a pretty good little traveler.  You LOVE being on airplanes because movies and screen time is a serious love of yours.  Some spectacular tantrums have been rooted in a show being turned off and having hours of screen time on airplanes makes you so happy.  We went to Egypt for last spring break and we were worried it would be really hard with two littles with all the walking but you guys did pretty great.  You both preferred to be carried by your dad and not me all the time but for the most part you enjoyed yourself and still talk about seeing the pyramids and the tombs.  It was an epic trip and I think some of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences started to stick this year in your memory because they were so soul shaking that they made a big impact.  You talk about how we climbed up the inside of the pyramid carrying you on my chest all bent over.  You talk about how you looked for rocks in every new temple we visited.  You talk about seeing King Tutankamun.  It's so strange to hear your little voice relate these stories that are now part of your childhood.  So strange.  

You did your first presentation for our travel research before trips when we went to the Netherlands and you LOVED learning something new and having your own topic of authority.  You were beyond proud every time we passed a shop window with one of the food items you learned about and were so happy to order food using your few Dutch words.  This is one of your things this year more than any other: you love to be in control. In the know.  In charge.  Doing things yourself or even occasionally for someone else (if it's something you want to do) has been a huge source of pride and a driving motivator for you this year.  Now there are definitely times when I cannot motivate you to do something if it's not something you want to do right then.  But some of your most exciting moments are when you're in charge and doing something that makes you feel big.  It's probably partially a product of being the littlest one in our family, but it's also a big part of who you are.  You need to find your own way.  Make your own path.  And any time we try to drag you down a path that isn't yours you are very not cool with it and you stop us in our tracks.

Speaking of dragging, potty training.  Oh girl, that was rough.  Horrible.  We waited until you were three and three months and it was still so awful.  Months of battles of will, backpedaling, charts and treats and stickers and none of it made a lick of difference.  You had to come to it on your own.  I don't even know what made it stick and even now there are days when you just care less but eventually what we realized was that if you didn't want it for yourself, there was nothing we could really do that would motivate you.  There were days when you were really trying and it was just hard for you to figure out.  But then there were other days when you purposefully used accidents against us and that made it hard.  

It's been a busy year and while you've rolled with most of the punches while traveling you've also been trying hard to figure out some things within yourself and it's been visibly tumultuous for you at times.  You've asserted your independence by finding new and sometimes surprising ways to be naughty.  It almost feels like a game or challenge to you sometimes.  You have to test any rule we set not just once but repeatedly.  There are days when you are the most compliant, helpful, loving little peanut and there are days when you push back in a loud and sometimes frightening way to every single word that I say.  Those days are hard, T.  You are a force, little miss.  And when you decide to be a force for positivity our house is happier and lighter because you're ribbon dancing and hugging and tackling and singing at the top of your tiny lungs.  But when you're struggling you are a whirlwind and we all end the day out of breath from trying to weather the storm.  I wish I knew how to help you feel more steady and lighter on days when you're angry.  We're working at it.  Trying to focus on all the good you do and hoping that some of your angst is a phase.

Traveling threw off your clock this summer and you had a good 6 months from August to January where you were up at night every night.  Sometimes once, sometimes 10 times.  Sometimes for 2 minutes sometimes just wide awake for multiple hours.  Calling for Dad and I and asking to go potty, for a drink, say a prayer I'm scared, where's my stuffy.  Basically you were awake and bored.  But we tried everything and you just took time and changing from naps to "quiet time" during which you still fall asleep but we have to wake you up after an hour to have any chance of a less rough night.  It's been so tough, T.  Oh man, and the babysitters.  Your dad and I were in a musical this fall and we had great babysitters putting you to bed twice a week.  Or at least trying to.  You were a little tyrant.  They'd try everything and you would not stay in your bed.  The power you wielded over these poor teenage girls was absurd.  Once we had our neighbor Chelsie Larson come over to put you to bed and you pulled the same thing with her.  At one point she said you better get in bed or you're busted.  Your response was, "What does busted mean?"  It means you're in big trouble.  You hesitated for a second and then said, "Hmmm, that doesn't sound so bad." and then continued to refuse to get in bed!  Seriously, an unstoppable force that leaves us shaking our heads in disbelief and breathless at the gall!

You've started to be more open to social situations.  In past years you've been happier and more content in your own little world.  You would play with Kenna for a limited time but it usually ended in fighting.  And when we had other people over to play you'd usually end up on your own, a little nervous about how to jump in but very unwilling to show it.  In the last 6 months or so you've started to engage more and rally others to an imaginary game too.  It's been really fun to watch you gain confidence in that way and realize that you're going to be very ready to start k4 next year.  I think it will be hard for you to not have your sister all the time as a crutch but at the same time it will be good to see you flourish in your own right.  You two have become better friends recently and have more and more days when you just disappear in your imaginary games for hours at a time.  It's like you've just realized that you can have so much fun together when you choose to and you're choosing to more and more.  It makes my heart so happy and sometimes we have places to go or things to do and I just see you playing together and throw the plans out and join in your tea party because it's more fun than making you stop.  You love your brothers too.  Especially when they'll read to you or let you ride on their back or wrestle softly.  You guys are such a great little team.  You know how to push each other's buttons but you also really love each other.

You like to play with magnatiles, making houses for your imaginary mice who sit on your shoulder and talk to you.  You love reading books and you'd be content to snuggle on the couch and bring me books to read for hours if we didn't have anything else to do.  You love parks and being outside.  You ride your little bike with training wheels with speed and abandon that make my heart squeeze sometimes.  Anything physical makes you light up inside.  I hope we can find room for you in a dance class next year because if you hold still long enough to listen to your teacher I think you'll really enjoy it!  

You love drawing and any sort of craft.  You're more quick cutting and quick scribbling and done while your sister is more tiny little lines and she can take ten minutes on a picture but you're both equally proud of your work and drawn to creating it.  You've loved making drawings or crafts for your dad and putting them in a bag or a box with a piece of candy to give him when he comes home.  Once in a while these little thoughtful things that you come up with to make other people happy are just the sweetest.  

You've become a picky eater this year.  You skip dinner most of the time because you just don't want to eat most vegetables or meat.  You've never met a fruit you don't like and you've started to eat most bread which is new for you.  Dinner is touch and go but most nights you're getting better at saying "thank you" and not eating it instead of passing out insults which used to be the trend.  You love to help cook and want to be on the counter any time I'm making anything.  You LOVE sweets and would eat them all day if I let you.  

Taryn I love you with a love that rivals all the passion in your tiny body.  I love you every moment of every day and I am trying so hard to be the momma you need to help you love who you are, love doing right, and find what makes your heart sing.  I am astounded by you.  You're an absolute marvel and I sometimes feel like you're a high flying kite and I'm just the string flapping in the wind trying to hang on for the ride and figure out where you're going and maybe, to your great dismay, tug you a little big to the left or the right.  Point is, little miss, you're already flying.  You've got more passion in your little finger than I've ever seen.  We just gotta fine tune it a little bit together and you are going to do amazing things with your life, sweet girl.  I love your facial expressions that are so huge they make me bust up.  I love your sassy hip swinging walk.  I love your knock you over hugs and when you're nervous at night and you ask for a snuggle and a prayer.  I love you, Taryn.  I'm so glad I get to be your mom and hang on for the ride that is your life.  

Happy birthday, little lady.

The world is yours.

Love,

Mom