She melts my heart

This pretty gal is growing up on me.

It hurts.

I put a shirt on little Kenna today that Kelsey used to wear when she was two years old. I swear that was just a few months ago. 

Its so cliché, but where has the time gone?

 

These two pictures were taken exactly one year ago, to the day.  

 

And here she is a month ago.

So much growth in just a year.  Physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, socially, in every way.

Holding her chubby little hand years ago melted my heart.  Everyone loved this cute little social bug girl of mine from the very beginning. 

We used to go to the grocery store and she was so friendly with everyone.  When we passed another mom and daughter duo shopping she used to say "Mom, look at that pretty girl.  She's my friend!" Even though had never met them.  She has always been a social little butterfly, full of compassion, smarts, and laughs.

 

She still melts my heart.

When I see her longs legs spread out on her bed as she sleeps, when we laugh at her morning hair, when she comes home with the highest midterm score in her honors science class, when she sits down at my sewing machine to make her cat a bed, when she helps me in the kitchen with dinner, when she reads Kenna a Dora book that I used to read to her, when I find crazy-faced selfies of her on my phone, when she sings in the shower, when she accepts her fate of watching the kids with a smile while I run an errand, and even when she suggests I change my shirt into something nicer, she melts my heart.

 

Sometimes I get too caught up in mourning that the summer is over so much that I miss the beauties of the fall season.  Sometimes I get so caught up in missing my little Kelsey girl that I forget she is still here and mine to enjoy.

And I do enjoy her.  So so much.

She is growing up, but she is growing into a pretty incredible person, and I am lucky.

And, just a little photographic evidence of the 162 or more crazy girl photos I get to find on my phone.

She melts my heart.