Anna Ruth is a Whole Handful (turns 5)

Anna Ruth, where has the time gone? How is it even possible you are five years old? I have to say that you really do get more fun and more lovable as each year goes by, which is VERY hard to believe because I said ALL the time when you were a baby that you were the SWEETEST baby ever! Back then, you loved me so much and it was so obvious.  And now as a five year old, you still make me feel like I am your favorite person in the WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD!

It is so crazy to think about it, but spending time with you is just like spending time with my friend (except I do not get on to my friends when they misbehave and you on the other hand...) But seriously, you are so fun to be with. You are so growny! Some of my best times with you have been over the past couple of months. One was when Daddy and Sumner went camping so you and I stayed up late and had a "junk night" and watched Beauty and the Beast. Another was one night daddy had to work late and you had been sick so you stayed up with me after Sumner went to bed and we looked on the Internet at baby dolls and baby doll accessories. When I am with you I am so happy and am ALWAYS entertained! You have the very best personality and you surprise me every day with some new saying or mannerism.  I just love you to PIECES!

The five year old you is pretty much the one year old you, just in a bigger body! What I mean by that is when I read over my entries of you from when you were a baby and early toddler I feel like I am reading the same descriptions of the current you.  You are so prissy and girly. You love baby dolls. You seriously are so motherly, it is crazy.  You have the strongest motherly instincts and you have been that way since you were at least 1.  You love to play school. You love to do cartwheels. You love to get your toenails and fingernails done.  You love to play mommy. You love shoes. You love shopping. You love junk food. You love jewelry. You love your family and do a wonderful job keeping all of us in line!  You love daddy taking you to school because y'all listen to K-LOVE real loud and he walks you around the church before taking you to the classroom. Your favorite songs are anything by Toby Mac, the song "Stand In Your Love", "Old Church Choir", and "Red Letters". You love to have tea parties. You love purses. Basically you just love life!

You weigh about 37 pounds, you wear size 4/5 clothes, and wear a size 9/10 shoe.

This year for your birthday you asked if we would take you to the Cabbage Patch Hospital so we did that instead of having a huge party.  You still had 3 "mini-parties" and one more is going to happen next week when our close friends get together for our annual Christmas party.

1.  We celebrated your birthday with DD the night before your real birthday. First we went to her school and you and Sumner got to play in her classroom.  Afterwards we went to DQ and you blew out your candle in your cookie dough blizzard. DD and Mr. Tommy gave you a LuvaBella baby doll.
2.  On the morning of your birthday, you woke up to streamers hanging from your doorway.  Daddy took JUST you on a breakfast date to Hardes (your favorite) before school.
3. You actually had school on your birthday this year.  Normally school is out by the time your birthday arrives, so this year was fun because I took a cake, chips, and drinks to your class and we all sang Happy Birthday.  You loved that because all of your school friends were able to participate. Afterwards you, Abigail, and I went to the nail salon, went to eat at Sucheros (your pick because you wanted cheese dip), and went to Yellow Monkey for desssert. We had the best afternoon!
4. The night of your birthday you asked to go to Cracker Barrel. You had a big crowd (Uncle David, Grandma, Ms. Vicki, Skylar, Uncle Thomas, Uncle D, Aunt Carol, Top, Yaya, Papa)! We ate, you opened presents, and we ate the chocolate birthday cake I made for you.  
5. Like I mentioned earlier, we are having our friends annual Christmas party the week after Christmas.  Both you and Norah Kate have birthdays in December so we are going to celebrate y'alls birthday at the same time.  

We had a wonderful time at the Cabbage Patch Hospital (Babyland General).  We stayed for at least 3 hours. . The timing really worked out, too, because Sumner had a doctor's appointment in Atlanta early that morning so we drove up the night before, went to his appointment, and went to the Cabbage Patch Hospital afterwards.   You picked out two little baby cabbage patch dolls and a few accessories. We planned on staying the night and taking you to Stone Mountain the next day for the Christmas and snow stuff but it was raining so bad and we couldn't. Regardless, we all still had a wonderful time and made priceless memories!

Dear Anna Ruth,
   Happy Birthday! I had the best time celebrating your precious life! You are so loved.  You are so special. You are so smart. I feel so blessed to be able to call you my daughter. My prayer for you is that you will ask Jesus into your heart once you are at the age you understand. I pray you will find Christian friends, a Christian spouse one day, and are surrounded by Godly influences all throughout your life. I love you, Anna Ruth, as high as the sky and the ocean is deep and more and more and more! 
Love,
Mama