Averie Grace, 5 years: Circus Photo Shoot {Smyrna, TN Photographer}

FIVE.

As she says, "A whole hand!"

I don't even know how to begin. How is she already 5?

I feel like I just gave birth to her.

She is an entertainer (she gets it honestly). She loves to put on shows, sing & dance, act out stories, and she cracks us up. I love the dramatic flair she has and I could watch her imagination at work all day long.

She loves letters and practices writing almost every day. She always asks how to spell things.  She thinks it makes her a big kid and she gets excited when she sounds out a new word. 

She looks so grown up. And I can't stand it.

She has become extremely opinionated and is super sassy.

She has a love/hate relationship with Gambit, but they were both so sweet to each other for this. I was melting. (Especially the shot below of him kissing her nose.)

She makes the funniest faces and always makes us mad because she'll do it while we are getting on to her. Sometimes we have to walk away so we don't crack up.

 She is our joy.

 Her answers to our yearly questions:

1. What is your favorite color?  pink 

2. What is your favorite toy? Hippo is my favorite to sleep with, 

but princesses

3. What is your favorite fruit? strawberries

4. What is your favorite tv show? Jem & the Holograms

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Sunbutter & jelly

6. What is your favorite outfit? My star shirt 

7. What is your favorite game? tag

8. What is your favorite snack? carrots

9. What is your favorite animal? Unicorn and pegasus

10. What is your favorite song? Baby mine. I love when you sing to me at bedtime.

11. What is your favorite book? Claire & the Unicorn

12. Who is your best friend? Gavyn & Kylar. Well, everyone is my best friend.

13. What is your favorite cereal? Square kind

14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? run!

15. What is your favorite drink? Lemonade

16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas

17. Where's your favorite place to go? The zoo

18. What is your favorite movie?  Beauty & the Beast (this was sung, not spoken)

19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? birthday cake  

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be a police girl.

She is one of the most intuitive littles I have ever met. She knows when we are having a bad day and her hugs or sweet gestures make it all melt away.

She has such an old soul.

I told you--pure light and joy.

She has been randomly (and frequently) telling me how much she loves me. Or how she thinks I am so beautiful. Or how she needs more kisses. Or she'll tell me I'm the best Mommy in the whole world. There aren't enough words to express how amazing this little girl is and how she can make my whole life light up.

 She has recently become a Daddy's girl--and oh, how I love it! She scoots her chair next to him every night at dinner. She tells him that he is so handsome. She tells him he is her prince. I want to bottle every word up and hold onto it forever. The way she looks at him makes my heart explode. 

 Averie Grace, I am so glad you were born baby girl.

You complete our family in the most perfect way.

Happy Birthday my little love!!