Three

After a delay due to illness, we finally celebrated this little girl turning three.

And celebrate we did!  Because as with life, Jessie doesn't do anything in half measures.  

She is our thunder and sunshine girl.  That first year was more full of thunder.  She was intense, and came home from the hospital not wanting to sleep.  She hated baby food, and nursed every 3 hours for the first year.

But there was also sunshine.  When she was three months old, we took her to San Diego, and got to enjoy a trip with just the three of us.  Here we're looking at the place we got engaged, while holding our third daughter.  What a blessing!

She LOVED being outside.  Going boating, sitting on the deck, watching the birds - she loves life!

Dinner times were not loved :)

But she has grown!  She's now in the 80th percentile for height, and loves descriptive words.  She's applying her 110% now to vocabulary and imagination.  She can't go to bed because she's "terrified of the giant skunk that is snuggled in my blankets and he doesn't want to share."  This statement turns into peals of laughter.  Kittens are "just so adorable."  And the dead fish yesterday was a huge highlight.  I needed to get it out of the tank before it, "faded into nothing."  She took apart my vacuum cleaner filters, washed them and replaced them when she was two.  She also threw a load of laundry in the washing machine and washed it on hot.

She could author a book entitled, "101 things to do while in a corner."

This is one talented, observant, imaginative little girl!

And I love her with my whole heart  - her zest for life, her persistence, her complete unfettered love, her infectious giggle.  She teaches me about characteristics of God, and how patient he is with his children.  God knew we needed Jessie in our family to balance out the 'by-the-book' older ones.  She teaches me to think outside the box and to be free with opinions and ideas.

I praise God daily for Jessie-Lynn Hope!