Happy Birthday, Mila!

Today, Mila is SEVEN!  A January birthday during a pandemic is tough and I had a hard time coming up with a special way to celebrate her until a brainstorm with Kate led to a day just perfect for our girl.  We declared this past Sunday Mila's "Sunday 7."  She came home from school on Friday with a poster and seven categories she had to fill in with her favorites.  For her favorite breakfast, she chose birthday pancakes, a long standing tradition over here.  For favorite toy to play, she picked "animal rescue" with her American Girl doll.  Favorite game to play was Sorry.  Favorite lunch spot, McDonalds, specifically the one by Target with the light up tables.  Favorite treat, a Dairy Queen Blizzard.  Favorite book to read, The Dress and the Girl.  And favorite family activity to do together included an epic snowball fight in the basement, a surefire way to get our step count for the day.

We had a fun day celebrating our girl, but her response Friday afternoon when she saw that poster was what I'll tuck away the most.  She's old enough now to get it - to see, and feel, the small little ways we make each other feel seen and celebrated.  I could see her soften when she read the poster, her eyes sparkled and smile sweet, and she said, "that makes me feel so special!"  Then, in typical Mila fashion, she got right to work making her list of what she wanted to do together.  And she made sure we didn't forget it. ;)  And at the end of her favorite things day, it came as no surprise that there was a tiny circle around the favorite toy category, with a caption that read, my VERY favorite! 

Tucked right in between her breakfast pancakes and our lunch date to McDonalds, I surprised Mila with a video I created of her first seven years of life.  It took me an entire day last week and I told a couple friends it felt like ripping my chest open and setting my heart right there on the table!  To step into those years and get a window in the past is both beautiful and heart-gutting for me.  But what I loved most about watching those sweet years of Mila is that when I look at her today, she's just a bigger version of who she's always been.  So many videos of her talking - she talked in full sentences before she was two and the things that came out her mouth in that tiny little voice were hilarious and adorable.  Video after video of animated performances - to Frozen, The Greatest Showman, and Maddie Poppe.  One deep foundation in God's love thanks to years spent at Blessed Beginnings - complete retellings of Jonah and the Whale when she was two, song after song from weekly chapel, and discussions about some of her earliest friends, friends still in her life today.  Videos of her deep affection for her big brother, and finally, let's not leave out the spunk.  There were plenty of video moments of that, too!

In one of our Advent study days last month, the fruits of the spirit came up after Cruz asked a really great question about the holy spirit.  This led into a great discussion where we all shared a fruit that we feel like we have a lot of, and one that we could use to work on.  And when we got to Mila, her fruit was easy as pie.  She is the definition of JOY.  It simply spills from her in all she does.  And she's increased our joy tenfold since she joined our family seven years ago today.  She was as pretty as the baby dolls she loves to play with now, and still brings more happiness than we know what to do with.

Happy Birthday, sweet girl!  You are a mess maker, animal lover (most recently animal tracker), school teacher player, letter writer, hug giver, silly starter, deep thinker, devoted learner, dance choreographer, and joy filler.  You live every day with your whole heart and inspire me to do the same.  Love you big, girl!