Happy (belated) 3rd Birthday Evie!

My baby isn't really a baby anymore....of course she will always be the baby of the family...but she is growing up in so many ways! We love her to bits...despite her toddler antics...she is a vibrant personality who knows exactly what she wants and most of the time wants to do everything by herself! Independent, sweet, silly, and with a fiery temper...it's hard to imagine our family without her.

Here are some things we want to remember about Evie at this age:

- Evie loves her plethora of muslin blankets...doesn't matter which one she takes to bed...as long as it has a tag that she can crunch up and stuff her face in!
- Evie loves the idea of having friends...and will often call someone she just met her best "fwiend"...she calls her cousins and her aunts and her grandma her best 'fwiends' too!
-She churns out cards to all those she loves on a daily basis..and has an uncanny 6th sense of knowing when I have 'purged' some of these cards she has made...haha

Our little Peppa!

- Evie loves to pretend to go to the splash park with her babies and of course me! She loves ordering me around like she's the mom...my favourite part is when she tucks me into bed for a nap as part of the game...a little relaxing time for me! :)
-She has recently learned how to ride a two wheeler bike without training wheels! She can't stop or start but can go as long as she wants without falling! So early for her to know how to do that!
- Evie says all words that start with 's' as the sound of 'f'....for example....splash pad is 'fwash pad'...or swimming is said 'fwimming'...or special is said 'feshial'. Soooo cute!!
- Evie is slowly (very slowly!!) learning that pinching is really hurtful and not kind to do to her sisters (mainly Lily for some reason...poor Lily!) or to anyone! And she is working on saying 'STOP' to her hands before they hurt others. This has been a big challenge for her (and us) but we have been encouraged as of late with her progress towards pinching less and using her words more often! Oh Evie!!
- She LOVES watching Peppa Pig...giggles at all the funny things Peppa and George do...and even requested a Peppa Pig cake for her 3rd birthday (which Phil delivered with amazing skill!!)
- She adores her sisters and from the moment her feet hit the floor in the morning she is asking 'where are the girls?'....much to their dismay sometimes but in general they are really good with Evie and incorporate her nicely (until she pinches them! ahhhh!!!) into their play.

Phil's cake masterpiece...Peppa Pig!

- Lily is especially playful with Evie and will often play the role as Evie's pet cat...(Lily LOVES this as most days she would prefer to be an animal anyways) where as Kaitlyn has naturally taken on more of a mothering role with Evie (first born!)
- Evie's bedtime routine is fairly set (if she goes to bed late...there is no skipping over things!) and she enjoys books, praying, singing and tickles. She usually is asleep within the first 3 songs. Sometimes she will join in the singing (twinkle twinkle) or request a song or sing to me...very sweet. Her faves have been Zacheous was a wee little man, Skinamarinky dinky-dink, Jesus loves me, and This little light of mine to name a few...I just love (and try to cherish) those still, quiet moments right before she falls asleep with her heavy eyelids and her perfect, sweet, chubby face close to mine...happy and safe and content right in that moment with me...I just love it....a great way to end some of those more 'trying' days! :)

- Often Evie will want to be within 3 feet of me...whether I'm going to the bathroom, cooking, reading to the girls, going upstairs to get something....Evie will want to come with me....
- Evie really enjoys playing 'mom' to her baby doll and will often take her for a walk, or put her to sleep or feed her or have a tea party with her....and wants me to be there for all that of course! :)
- Evie really likes 'cow cheese' (the laughing cow cheese), waffles (cold!), coke (a VERY special and rare treat for her), any kind of gum or candy (lollipops are always a hit with Evie!), frozen bananas and blueberries, strawberry smoothies, tea with too much sugar, and for some bizarre reason...Evie doesn't really enjoy Ketchup that much (Whaaaaaat???Whose daughter is she?)

My sweet girl

-Evie is now in a 'big girl' bed and even though she looks so tiny in this big bed, she is growing up so fast and was totally ready for the upgrade from the crib
 - Evie ditched diapers in the daytime in the spring this year...when she was about 2.5 years old...she was heavily influenced by her older sisters and one day she decided that she wanted to go pee in the big toilet and that was that....(unlike the woes we had with one of our other kids where I had to carry around a potty with me for about 6 months while we potty trained her!!) She still wears diapers at night but recently has been waking up with a dry diaper so who knows....we may be totally out of the world of diapers sooner than we think!!
-Evie attends a little preschool, run through our church...two mornings a week..she had her first day last week and she did well! We are hoping she continues to enjoy going as it gives her a chance to have 'her thing' while I homeschool the other girls.

Evie, running like the wind,
hair flowing wild, arms joyfully
swinging in barefoot simplicity.
Love it.

Evie has been through a lot of change in her short little life thus far....back and forth to Chad, moving 4 times since last November (within Canada)...hearing about this 'Chad' place but not really remembering it, yet we talk about it often and our 'home' there. She has struggled with the instability and the many transitions we have been through this past year but yet, is remarkably happy and full of confidence within our family...which has been so good to see. We are so thankful for her spunky personality, her sweet and funny words and all the ways she adds to our family life!
We pray that as each day passes, she would learn more and more about what it means to be kind and loving to others, learn to use her words rather than her fists, learn to obey with a joyful heart and to be a kind and thoughtful friend and sister. We pray that she would learn more about the One who loves her and made her and has a plan for her life...and we pray that she would have a huge desire to submit to His great purpose for her life and that she would grow in wisdom and knowledge of her Creator.

We absolutely LOVE Evie and love that she is a part of our family...for better or for worse....during 3 year old tantrums or those 3 year old cute moments...we will still love her, now and always! :)