She turned six at the end of last month.
Strangely enough, it seems like she’s even older than that. Poppy is simply an old soul.
She’s a thinker. A watcher.
And always keenly aware of everything going on around her.
In fact, she’s more frequently put “in charge” around here than most of her older siblings. The girl likes to be large and in charge, and she consistently succeeds at any task she sets her mind to accomplish.
But she’s also ridiculously silly.
She makes the goofiest faces. And loves to try to make up new words, just to make everyone laugh.
She’s also incredibly loving, with a very tender heart. Not towards everyone, of course, but for those who mean the most to her, she’ll do anything.
Even on her birthday, she was happy to let Clementine help blow out her birthday candles, and didn’t even think twice about sharing the spotlight.
I looked back at first few days together and was reminded how much she struggled in China. How terrified she was. How much she was grieving. And how very much of herself she kept completely hidden.
To say this brave, smart, silly, outspoken little girl has come a long way in learning to trust again and learning to love again would be one of the biggest understatements, ever.
Happy Birthday with buckets full of love and a cherry on top, Penelope Gayle. We are so thankful to be the recipients of your seriousness and your silliness, and absolutely everything in between.