Charlotte - Six Years Old (and some change)

Dear Charlotte,
These letters are getting harder and harder to get out on time. Your sixth birthday came and went over five months ago and I've had very little time since then to sit down uninterrupted to complete this update. Then when I do have the time, I am just too exhausted to do anything even remotely productive. So my apologies. Just remember, you will always have more photos of yourself than any of your siblings, so I think we're even.

Somehow in this last year or two you went from being a toddler to a little girl. A creative, active, intelligent, funny, clever, delightful little girl. The jeans that were too big for you on your sixth birthday are now very close to being too short. You've grown a good inch and a half in the past four months and I can't seem to make it slow down. As always, there's that part of me that doesn't want you to get any bigger, so for even just a moment I can truly soak in all you've become. But the other part of me is just thrilled with all you're becoming when that very short moment passes.

You are almost finished with kindergarten and you're a completely different kid than when you started this past fall. You went from recognizing almost all your letters and numbers up to 50 or so, to reading full level 1 and 2 books and adding and subtracting double digits. The first time you read to me, it was a comic strip from your Highlights magazine, and I couldn't help the tears from coming down my cheeks, I was so proud.

 You have always been and still remain such a wonderful helper to me around the house. I rarely get a fuss when I ask you to set the table, bring me the laundry, or pick up after yourself. Often you even help your brothers pick up their messes if it means you get to watch your favorite show that much sooner. You've been learning how to watch out for Matthew and tend to him if you're outside and he happens to get hurt. I've been proud to watch how your heart has slowly started to let him in. It has been a joy watching you two play together for sometimes up to an hour without any problems. Often times you and Cy would much rather spend your "quiet time" playing quietly together in the toy room than being apart. You don't get too much time to play, just the two of you, so on Saturday or Sunday when Matthew and Skylar are sleeping, I let you two have that special time together. I can tell Cy is really starting to look up to you and you're doing a great job at leading him in a positive direction. Most of the time.

You played soccer this year for the first time. Although the team t-shirts didn't quite meet your criteria for size and style, I think you still managed to have a good time out there with your friends. It was fun to see you try something new and even if you weren't the best on the team, you gave it a good shot and managed to have a lot of fun in the process.

It was shortly after your sixth birthday, when Grandma and Grandpa Smith came to visit, that you get baptized. Daddy baptized you at our church and it was a sheer delight for all of us to witness. There's something pretty amazing about seeing you go down into that water and then rising again, knowing now that you know Jesus, your life will never be the same again. You've been so curious lately about many biblical truths and have such a strong desire to know it all right now. Daddy and I have spent many nights talking to you long after bedtime, explaining to you your questions about creation, prayer, and some of God's qualities like his omnipresence and omniscience. Many concepts I admit I didn't even recognize or begin to grasp until I was well past my early teens and into my twenties. It's exciting to see you longing to know more and excited to learn about God's character. I pray the your mind continues to long for more of Him - to know more about Him and more importantly, to want more of Him in your life. I pray in the years to come that the Lord seals your heart with his love and that you slowly but surely allow his goodness and grace to penetrate every part of your being. I pray you keep asking the hard questions and keep searching for His truth. I pray your mind will forever long for more of Him and your heart will continue to beat strong in time with His.

You're a pretty remarkable little girl. Sometimes when I go into your room after you've fallen asleep to turn out your light, I take a couple minutes to watch you sleep and try to will time to stop for just a few moments. I hope you always know how precious you are to me and that I am able to find ways every day to show you. I love you, sweetheart. My Sweet Pea. My Charlotte.

Love,
Mommy