Charlotte is 5 today!  I'm sure I will look at back at 5 and say, "Look how little she was!"  But today, it is hard to believe how grown up my girl is.  So vivacious and self-assured, such a glowing little person with an overflowing heart and an equally overflowing imagination.  So zesty!

My girl isn't afraid to be herself.  If I had to summarize her everyday persona, I might describe her as a fierce fairy princess.  Always so fancy, with a heart of gold, but a self-proclaimed dragon queen full of fiery lava, or a roaring lion on the hunt for blood and bones.  An elegant hostess of tea parties among dragons...  (We don't always know exactly what to make of these games!)  Her current favorite bedtime songs are 'The Sound of Music' (belted with Mommy) and 'The Star Spangled Booger' (a classic with embellishments by Daddy).

She and I had SO much fun with her confetti photo session!  Seriously, it was the most fun session we've done together, I think!  The pink wall in the background is included intentionally - these are the walls of her new room in our new home, freshly painted in the beautiful, happy color that she chose.  The confetti are scraps from stars we cut out to make a banner for her room.  It felt right to include hints of what has been going on in our lives as she makes the transition from four to five and from Pennsylvania to Virginia. 

Happy birthday, Sweet Charlotte!