Happy Happy Birthday, Morgan Dear!

Seven years ago, this sweet girl made me a mom and my life has been forever changed for the better. Her birth was also less dramatic than the others - my mom flew in from Albuquerque the night before our planned C-section and got up early to make Chadwick a nice breakfast before we went to the hospital. I remember being quite sad that I couldn't partake of the eggs and toast as I had to fast before the procedure....so I took a shower, did my hair, posed for a picture by the front door and sauntered into the maternity ward to have my baby. We didn't find out the gender beforehand and were blessed with a healthy baby girl.  

Morgan Magoo, as we call her, or "Goo" from Spencer, is a joy. Smart and energetic with a beautiful smile, she livens up our household with her songs, jokes, and personality. She loves to help and do things on her own. Her siblings adore her and I love having her around in the evening to assist while I get dinner ready. Math comes easily for this little smartie pants and when she's not otherwise engaged, she has her nose stuck in a book. Right now, her favorite series are the Magic Treehouse and Ivy+Bean. She's still enamored with all things T-rex and spends hours building with Legos or drawing. I find little letters around the house in her tidy handwriting, letters written to Chadwick or myself expressing her love for us and our family. Music class with Aunt Becky and soccer are her extra activities, though she's not sure she wants to pursue soccer for more than one last season.

To celebrate, she wanted a date with just her and Chadwick and I. We went to lunch at Chick-fil-A and then bowled two frames at Big Al's. She totally beat me the first game and was ahead of me most of the second game....until I switched to a lighter ball and started knocking down some pins. Chadwick did well, though no one will be recruiting any of us for the next bowling league!

That night, the family came over for dinner and dessert. It had been a while since seeing the Austin family and it was good to catch up. Several of our neighbors came for cake and ice cream - we had a house-full to support Morgan in this celebration. She wanted another dinosaur cake, which morphed into a volcano. It was an awesome cake and one of the most crumbly I've ever eaten!

 Opening presents....

Spencer loves "Melmo"

 Sunday was church, a quiet afternoon, and home made pizza for dinner at her request.

We love you, Morgan!