5 years in the make ..... so does that mean I have to do chores too?

At 5:30 am on 4/25 our Ivey will be 5 years old.

A milestone.

So tonight I kissed her goodnight for the last time as a 4 year old. 5 seems so much older.

And it is.

And I am sure that tomorrow night there will be much to write about - we'll celebrate in true Ivey style. Tonight instead of rehashing the 4th year, I think I'll wait and enjoy the excitment of the promise of her 5th year.

In this moment I am in awe of my girl and all of her accomplishments. There are so many. Nevertheless, her birth day comes with many emotions. Many are our personal accomplishments and somehow surviving these 5 years with her and we know that we can face a challenge and keep on going. Sometimes we have felt broken, but we are always mended with something extra in the new weave. I don't think that will ever change. Her birth nitched a literal mark in our lives, a "before life" and a "life after". Now days it is almost impossible to remember life without her.

The boys have reached an age where toddler memories are fading and they too don't remember life before Ivey. They revel in the wake of Ivey's existance. They are made of something extra special. They exceed anything I could have ever dreamed for them. Not only does Ivey enrich their lives in ways still to be imagined - She complements their spirit. The boys are truely the center of her world. Personally I can't imagine what it must be like to know that another soul exists because me, but Ivey lives just for them. And now that they are a little older - 5 years into this life - well, they are understanding more. Just this week I got to witness firsthand the normalcy they crave amidst the deepest of love for their sister. Wise beyond their years. But, that is another story.

Despite their unbelievable moments ...

They are just brothers and a sister. The boys make sure that she is - well - just as typical as they are -- to them she is plain ole' Ivey.

So Friday it was made clear to me that it is unfair that the two boys of the house have to do chores and Ivey doesn't. This was explained to me in grave detail. Life just isn't fair...

(a plea for sibling equality)

So it was decided by the older brothers that it is high time Ivey start carrying her weight around here. And with no input on my part it was decided that Ivey should start hanging her shirts on hangers and hanging them in her closet and she should put her pants away in the drawer...and... she should also load the washer and dryer.

So......

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!!

Apparently your newness has worn off and you are one of the boys now -