Happy 6th Birthday, "Katie Boo"

What can I say about our sweet Katie Boo? I mean really, she is amazing. I know I'm completely biased, but she is creative, brilliant, sharp, witty, beautiful, & sweet. She likes to know that we're close by but is independent enough to go to school with no hesitation. However, if you start talking about her going off to college, she starts crying. She says she is going to build a house in the backyard and live near us forever. We'll see how she feels about that in about 10 years...or less! LOL

A typical day will find Katie inventing something with a box, string, & paper. It will find her enjoying some television on Disney Channel...'Phineas & Ferb' being one of her favorites. It will find her playing in the backyard, practicing baseball. It will find her inviting us to "book club" or a "party" she is creating. It will find her giving us hugs and wanting to "be with us." It will find her dancing around and teasing with her Daddy. It will find her playing the DS or Wii (well, if the Wii hadn't been stolen anyway.)

She is a pro at school, just like her sister, yet...different. She & Gracie are night & day in personality, yet both so wonderful. Katie is our little social butterfly and such a tom boy. I just washed & put Toy Story sheets on her bed that she got for her birthday. There was a time I never would have bought something like that for her...my little girl...but they made her so very happy, and you only turn 6 once! She loves to be with her Daddy, loves to play baseball with him in the backyard (she will start playing softball in April!) She has her friends who are girls and likes girly things, BUT she also has quite a handful of friends who are boys (one of her favorites is 16 years old...LOL) and likes "boy" things, too. The girl loves Toy Story and Spiderman, etc.

She has turned into such a wonderful little reader! She wants her turn at reading from the Bible if Gracie is asked to read their Bible Reading to us. She still needs some help with some words, but she is definitely a real reader, and we are so proud of her! She has done such a good job with learning her memory verses for Bible Class. Her favorite song is, "Lord, I Lift Your Name on High." I love to see & hear her sing during church! She likes to write stories and even wrote a song the other day. Very cute. She has a mind for math like I've rarely seen. The card I found for her is perfect! She can figure out mathematical things in her mind quickly & with little hesitation...definitely NOT like me! She is a problem solver extraordinaire! She definitely thinks outside the box. I'm a little jealous of her really, and the way her mind works.

I love Katie's smile! Not her frozen, fake smile she sometimes gives for pictures, but her genuine, joy filled smile. The smile she gives when her Daddy does something she thinks is hilarious. The smile she gives when her favorite 16 year old, "Juice," picks her up and talks to her. The smile she gives when something exciting happens. I LOVE to hear her deep laugh. It just makes me think of innocence & joy filled childhood. I love her passion! True, her passion sometimes gets her into trouble, but focused on the right things, it will serve her well in life. She is full of drama and just so much fun.

THANK YOU, GOD for blessing our lives with Katie Brooklyn Shanks!
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Chris stayed home this morning for a bit, so she got pancakes for a birthday breakfast.

Her gifts await!

She was so excited to come downstairs to see her presents this morning.

She got a cute dress from Grammer & Pappy. She also got a Toy Story "snuggie" that I haven't gotten a picture of yet.

She said we need to wait until Spring to fly the kite.

She enjoys listening to cd's at night, so this cd can be added to her collection. She already read some of the book before school. I think she will spend many happy hours curled up in her new chair.