My youngest daughter, my baby girl, is 9 years old today. I've said it before, and I'll say it again but ... where does the time go???

Rigth now M. is with grandparents in Illinois ... sniff, sniff ... we do miss her on her birthday. But we'll have a big party and cake when she gets home, so basically she's getting two birthday celebrations ... she's not complaining!

M. is one of the quieter children in this family. No, wait, let me rephrase that, M. used to be quiet, and is still fairly quiet with strangers, but at home she's as loud as the rest of them.

M. didn't say her first sentence until she was over the age of two and that sentence was, "How you Mommy?". I'll never ever forget that moment! She and some of the other kids were sitting on the couch, I'd just walked into the house, and it just popped out. You could have knocked me over with a feather.

I've realized this last week that M. is a calming force on the boys. They've been pretty darn wild since she's been gone ... and bored. They certainly miss their sister! But when I say that C. protests that she misses her more ... after all, there are only two girls and they share a room and talk all night (which I didn't know!).

When it comes down to it, we are blessed as can be to have M. in the middle of this family and we sure do love her dearly.

Happy Birthday Mimi Lulu!

top photo: this year, bottom photo: 2001