Eight years ago to this day, I became the mother to a daughter. What a wonderful joy and adventure this has been! Kate is a shining light to all that know her, and one of the joys of my life. She has a very open, giving and friendly personality. Sharing has always come easily to her, as do enthusiasm and an exuberance for life. Kate is growing up so fast – I can hardly believe it! She loves to cook, read, swim, play with her friends. And she is always asking to take pictures with my cameras…or to come and help me on a photo shoot. So for her birthday today, she got her very own point and shoot camera… waterproof, shock drop – proof, dust proof, you-name-it… She is so excited! In addition to loving to snap pictures herself, she is my most willing participant in family photo shoots – and the camera loves her as well!
For her birthday today, she wanted to help me bake her favorite cake: lemon meringue cake (four layers of lemon cake, with homemade lemon pie filling spread between each layer and topped with a homemade meringue topping), and her favorite ice cream: raspberry sour cream ice cream (the best ice cream recipe ever – truly!).
Afterward I took her out for an ultra-quick, 5 minute photo shoot – so we could remember what she looks like the day she turned 8!
She really, really wanted me to take an upside down picture…so I humored her. Despite the thick overcast, the light was still too bright for her to open her eyes more than 1 second! Her eyes were closed in 90% of these pics!
Then we had a very simple party – consisting of cake, ice cream and of course opening presents with a few friends!
Then grandma whisked her and her brother and sister off to Southern Utah to spend the weekend hiking and celebrating Utah’s July 24th holiday (Pioneer Day)! I wish I could be there now! All in all, a pretty good day for Kate!
But now that it’s quiet in the house and the kids are gone, I can’t help but miss them and reflect on the years that have flown so quickly by! So I lost myself looking through the years in pictures and thought I would post a few of Kate through the years. Quick disclaimer – the first couple of years I did not have a professional camera or experience! But I still love to reflect on those times – no matter what your equipment or your abilities as a photographer, don’t forget to capture the moments as they happen, because they go by so fast. One day I was holding Kate newly born in my arms, and the next she is running off with her friends to 3rd grade! Here she is the day she was born:
One thing that made today so special was that my littlest brother Zach, had his first child, beautiful Emery Saige , early this morning! Kate will share her birthday with a cousin. I shared my birthday with both my grandmother and my aunt, and I loved that! Here is Zach, 8 years ago today, holding Kate the day she was born. Now he holds a daughter of his own…
Kate’s eyes seem to change color every year. For the first year they were a startling blue!
On her first day of Kindergarten:
With her best friend Maren:
First day of 1st Grade:
Kate and cousin Courtney – they are such great friends!
Kate’s eyes have turned to a beautiful shade of green. We’ll see what next year brings!
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