Dear Eden,
Where do I even begin with you my sweet darling daughter?
You are such a joy and spread so much happiness to everyone you meet. You are strong, hardheaded, determined, kind and caring all wrapped into one.
Eden you have really grown up before my eyes during the last year. This year, you mastered homeschool. I know homeschool is not your first choice and you are so excited to go back to traditional school next year, but you were quite the trooper and I know you enjoyed the home time with your brothers.
Eden you are my sanctuary. My safe place. My garden of beauty and flowers. Sometimes I like to escape to your bedroom for a moment of quiet. I pretend I’m just there to clean, but deep down I just enjoy being near you. Understandably so, sometimes it is hard to pull you away from your brothers you love them so much but just remember sometimes mom likes to just be with you.
Eden you remind me so much of myself as a child yet you are also so different. Sometimes I like to think about what it would be like if we were friends at the same age and you 100% would be the girl that I would want to hang out with. You are funny, you are witty, you are imaginative, you are creative, you are so incredibly strong. You know what you like and you are not afraid to tell the world. Sometimes we joke with you calling you “Evangelist Eden” but in reality, we are so proud of how much you love the Lord and tell every single person you meet.
Even though you are seven, you still look to your older brother for acceptance. You “baby” your little brothers like Wendy from Peter Pan pretending they are the lost boys. You still love Disney World and princesses. Anytime somebody asks you which one is your favorite princess you are quick to respond “all of them”.
During this last year you have really focused in on the things you love most like art and ballet. You performed in your very first Nutcracker show this past winter and absolutely fell in love with every aspect of it. Ballet is becoming more competitive and more time-consuming and there is nothing in you that wants to slow down. You received a “big sister” at your ballet school who you just think is the cats meow. In a house full of boys, dominated by Nerf guns, golf balls and cars, I think you find peace at ballet. Ballet has really allowed you to shine and to hang with just the girls… something you need and love to do!
You also took a year-long art class that you cannot wait to go back to. This summer you have started taking tennis lessons, I think it’s a sport you are really going to love. You also finished your third year of soccer. You like soccer because you get to hang out with your friends and as long as you want to continue to do it we will absolutely support you.
Eden when you were born you took me by surprise. You weren’t exactly a planned pregnancy at the beginning and I thought for sure you were a boy. When you were born at 4:40 in the morning on June 15th (Father’s Day) in 2014 my entire world changed. I remember distinctly, the nurses letting me sleep because it was so early in the morning and I was exhausted because you were an unplanned natural birth without an epidural. I held you so tight and cried and cried and cried. I just could not believe that I was holding my new best friend.
My best friend for life, my only girl, my beautiful garden, my heart and soul, my one and only Eden.
Happy 7th birthday, Eden Marie. May you continue to shine this year, may you continue to always feel your mama’s love, and may you continue to share your love of ballet, art, and the Lord.
Love,
Mom
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