today my daughter turned six years old.

to say that i can’t believe it would be the understatement of the year.

she still feels like my baby girl, and yet… she is growing up.

and oh, how i love the girl she is growing up to be.

this has been a big year for isabella.

she started kindergarten and is already learning to read. i love to watch her try to read, and the jubilation she expresses when she figures out new words.

she got her ears pierced over the summer. crazy how two tiny pieces of jewelry can make someone look so much older.

she also asked jesus to live in her heart. i wasn’t expecting it while driving home from trader joes one day, but i’ll definitely never forget it.

bella is passionate. determined. cuddly. spunky. artistic. friendly. enthusiastic. competitive. loyal. silly. loving. happy. a quick learner. inquisitive. energetic.

she loves animals. barbies. anything with sugar. drawing. princesses. legos. macaroni and cheese. pink. her hair down. dresses. riding her scooter. snuggling. cooking. reading. dog with a blog. her friends. perfume. dresses. bubble baths. having her nails painted. scissors and glue. dinosaurs. star wars. sparkly eyeshadow. sofia the first. dancing when no one is watching. taylor swift. tutus. drawing hearts and stars on everything. marie from the aristocats. jewelry. palace pets. school. dress up. disneyland.

she does not like having to make her bed. wearing pants. being told no. getting the smaller portion of anything. mommy’s hair in a ponytail. vegetables. being last.

this year isabella discovered her love for acting in plays, fishing (as long as she didn’t have to touch a worm), and riding space mountain.

she learned how to draw people way better than i can and she will make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich all by herself.

she rode a zipline, jumped off a giant rock into a lake, and got to be cindy lou who.

she does everything “like a boss.”

she says when she grows up she wants to be a doctor for babies and kids.

she said she also wants to be a dancer, an artist. and a mommy.

i told her she can do and be anything she wants to be…..

and i believe it.

as crazy as she can make me sometimes, i adore this little girl beyond words.

i love that she knows what she wants, and she isn’t afraid to fight for it

while right now a pink cup doesn’t seem worth fighting over, i know there will be bigger fights down the road.

i pray daily that God will shape and mold her little heart to love and fight for the things that He desires for her.

there will be no stopping this little one.

isabella loves her brother and sister fiercely. while she is usually involved in whatever argument seems to be happening, she is also always a part of the laughter. both jackson and charlotte would say that she is their favorite, and everyone is sad when bella isn’t home. most mornings, charlotte will look up at me sadly and say, “mommy, i just really miss bella when she’s at school.” she brings life and joy and entertainment to our lives.

photos taken with both my iPhone and my big fancy camera