One decade ago, we welcomed Miss Isabella Grace into our lives. She was born into her Daddy's hands in a home waterbirth...weighing in at 9 lbs. 12 oz! We had no idea what we were doing, but we had a stack of cloth diapers, a bunch of slings, and a boppy. Our main objective every day was to stare at her as much as possible, studying every detail of her little face.

Fast forward...and now we have THIS! A vibrant and shining young woman who is full of life and dreams. She spent almost 4 years of her young life traveling the country...and had more experiences under her belt by age 7 than most do when they are 50!

One particular memory that stands out was in Malibu, California. I couldn't find her for a moment. After determining that she hadn't launched herself off the cliff into the ocean, I located her...sitting with the neighbors next door. None of them spoke much English...they were from Germany and France. But Bella didn't care. She had taken up a seat around their fire and was animatedly "talking" with them. Eating their cheese and crackers.

She has always been that way...engaging everyone she meets!

Each flame here represents a year of growth...unique, happy, amazing years.

Lucy's eyes tell the story here. She wants to be just like her big sister...and wants to be with her constantly, as evidenced by much kicking of doors. ;-) Bella graciously takes her under her wing, and they have many adventures together.

Bella's current passions are many...interior design, fashion design, Harry Potter, Minecraft, singing, dancing, and parkour. She stays up late, sleeps in late, and is growing growing growing. Pretty soon, we'll be sharing clothes and shoes!

Nana and Papa have been at every single birthday party for the last 10 years...and this year was no exception. It was such fun to have them (and my brother Scotty!) in our new home for the celebration...eating meals on scaffolding and giggling at doggie antics.