Gosh I love this birthday girl.
It was her birthday right after Dave’s (on the 2nd), and she was still here in the desert after all the Thanksgiving hoopla. So you’d think we got to celebrate her big, but they were the last ones here (stayed an extra day after everyone left), and they left first thing in the morning. So this is about all the birthday we got:
Snagging some oranges from the back yard before we took off for the airport.
I just love this little family so much.
En route to the airport Abby read the note Lucy had worked hard on to give her (that Lucy is a birthday-celebrator-extraordinaire and that note was the sweetest ever).
There are so many things I adore about Abby.
She has the best sense of humor, takes herself lightly and helps everyone else do the same. She somehow knows all the tea about what’s going on in the world (ha!), is an incredible artist like her awesome mama Sarah, and she holds her own (often a little wide-eyed) on the crazy adventures we take as a family. Ha!
But the things I love most about Abby is her ability to build relationships. She is such a good friend.
Someone asked me which kid calls the most, and the answer is Abby. I love that she calls and sends updates about Murphy very regularly. She cannot possibly know how much it means to get FaceTime calls with her and Murph since we don’t get to live close-by. I also think she is also the one behind Max calling more often (and by “more often” I mean once every few months…ha! that boy is not a phone-talker but I LOVE when he calls).
Abby also is just such a perfect partner for Max. She knows just how to build him and she compliments his strengths as well as balances out his weaknesses. I have so loved watching them grow together in such beautiful ways over the years she has been part of him.
I love the connections she has forged with each person in our family. She will stand up to Lucy and Lucy adores her/feels safe with her because of it. She is the best of friends with these not-so-new-anymore sisters of hers. She is full of gratitude and will call me and Dave to tell us things she’s noticed or felt thankful for.
Perhaps one thing I love most about her this year is observing how she mothers. She is so incredibly natural at this job. I know I’m biased but I think Murphy is about the best baby ever, and I think much of that comes because she is taught and loved so well by her parents. This next little girl on the way is pretty lucky.
Ok, I could go on and on, but I’ll wrap it up with this: We are the luckiest to have Abby as part of our family. Love you forever Abby Jane!
