My dear youngest step-daughter….

This is what you looked like when I met you July 4th, 2008. You were still a baby in a baby car seat. The kind that pulls over the head and buckles in the middle.

Summer 2008

Your favorite thing in the world was to cling to your Daddy like a monkey (still is).

And I don’t blame you. He is pretty darn comfy. Psst…..he is my hero too.

Life was confusing when we met. Daddy had moved out. Daddy had a new house and a new person in his life. A strange house. A strange person. Gee, that was scary. You were so little. It’s not easy when you can’t express yourself the way you want to and you don’t understand adult things. Divorce is not something you can explain to a two-year old.

Daddy and Bridget Summer 2008

By the next summer, things were a LOT easier and happier too. You were more comfortable, more mobile, and by golly you found your niche enjoying life.

Summer 2009

We were discovering so many things that you hadn’t done before. Swimming in the big public pool with a floatie. Chuck-e-Cheese, the Circus, and the Texas State Fair. Ranger baseball games, Mama’s pizza, The Purple Cow, and nail salons. Freeze dancing with a fifteen-year old.

Weekends at Disney Dad’s…..soooo fun.

You came out of your shell. You began to talk (and talk, and talk, and talk). And then, somehow, just like that, it was your fourth birthday.

Four! The magical age that I wrote about one year ago when I told the story of shy baby chubba cheeks, and how you came into my life heart.

What a precious gift you are!

My favorite wedding memory, when I married your Dad was walking out of the dressing room to wait at the chapel door for my music cue. There you stood with all the other flower girls in your beautiful dress, silk flower girl basket, and silk flower hair wreath. I literally choked a gulp of tears down my throat, because all of you looked so gloriously beautiful, like living breathing Angels from heaven. I was overcome with emotion, and gratitude. The magnitude of this dream day pressed upon me and I just about lost it in a puddle of tears.

The funny thing was in all your ivory silk and tulle beauty, there, on your wrist was Sydney’s old red key chain. A wrist key holder she had in elementary school to keep track of her house key. Where you found it?…….who knows…..Why you decided it was wedding wear worthy?….I have no idea…. but it tickled me and I couldn’t stop laughing. A red curly corkscrew plastic bracelet in the midst of all the whimsy wonder.

It was perfect. It really was.

The joy and laughter you gave in that moment was just what I needed. My nerves evaporated. I became calm and peaceful, because here we were on this day – the one we had talked about happening forever – and it was perfect.

That’s what you do. No matter what, you bring great joy to our hearts with your show-stopper smile, and your hilarious antics.

This past year hasn’t been easy. With your Grandma and Dad’s health, the terrible car accident, and my never-ending-sinus infection – not to mention the many other changes we have slogged through. I feel like we haven’t had as much time for fun, even though we still have tons of it.

I didn’t plan a birthday party for you. Not ahead of time anyway. The entire family waited for information so we could celebrate your special day on one of our weekends.

Instead of deciding what to do, I went to you – the star of June – for a little direction.

I asked you…if you could have your birthday party – WHEREever you wanted – WHENever you wanted. Where would it be?

It took you two-seconds to answer as your eyes got wide and you began to stammer. In your rush to say the sacred name, you had to visibly slow down to speak it in the most articulate way possible so I would know without a doubt where it was.

A Chuck-E-Cheese party!

And that’s what we did …..

Wearing your pink party dress and fabulous Hawaiian Lei (that you found where?? who knows??).

We partied with tons of pizza, tokens, and a big SCARY grey mouse, you are still not too sure of.

Molly not afraid of Chuck-e-Cheese anymore.

Happy BRI-day!

Welcome to FIVE Bridget! I can’t WAIT to see what you do this year.

No doubt it will be as fabulous as you are.