Movin' Up!

My little girl turned twelve on Tuesday. She is no longer in primary now. She is in young women's. YOUNG WOMEN'S!!! Wow. I can't believe it. It seems like just yesterday....no, not really. Shoot. Thank goodness for pictures cause I don't remember much. But, I do remember how much I loved my baby girl. She was my fastest delivery....I arrived at the hospital at 8:00am to be induced. The Dr. said I was already having contractions(even though I wasn't feeling anything yet) and so he broke my water at 8:15am. Sierra was born at 8:46am. ....Talk about a nice, fast delivery. And, she has been nice to me ever since.

When Sierra's hair was this length, she had the cutest curls. Unfortunately, as the hair grew longer, the curls disappeared. But, she was still beautiful with that thick, blond hair and those big, blue eyes.

I don't know if it was because she had a big brother or because her mother is this way also, but Sierra was a born tomboy. Lovin' bugs and all from the beginning. It's probably a good thing too since she ended up with two more brothers behind her. She's gotta be tough.

Luckily, she could still have a princess side to even out the tomboy side. Sierra loved all the Disney princesses when she was growing up. It was so fun to see her prance around in her princess dresses. She was Cinderella this year for Halloween.

Sierra became a big sister at four to Zane. And, she has been helpful ever since. She is always willing to help and she's such a hard worker. What a wonderful daughter.

Oh, and I can't post about her first 12 years without including the infamous self haircut. Boy, did she butch it. She wanted no bangs. So, instead of growing them out, she thought she should just cut them off! Lovely, huh?! Oh, well. You gotta learn to laugh at yourself, right?!

By Kindergarten, her hair had grown out enough to pull those growing bangs up. And, so this was her hairdo for the year. Still adorable. This was her first day of school at Franklin South.

Sierra has been an animal lover from day one....much like her mother. She loves her cats, the bunny she had for a while, our dogs....

...and the horses. Here is her obsession just starting out. Here is Sierra starting horseback riding lessons on Dandy when she was eight years old.

And the obsessive fire was fueled with our purchase of Pepper. He was/is a stubborn pony, but luckily Sierra was more stubborn. (probably one of the few times her stubbornness is a plus:). But, boy, is she the best rider around now.

Happy 12th Birthday Sierra Dawn! I would have liked to have had another daughter, but Sierra more than makes up for only having one. She is a wonderful girl. Really. Such a hard worker. Such a good helper. I can't believe she's in Young Women's now. I love that we both enjoy horseback riding together. I love spending time with my girl. She's beautiful inside and out!