Happy Day

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Smiling for the camera!

And just like that, our spunky, sassy, blue-eyed beauty with an independent streak the size of the Milky Way is TWO!

Isn’t he a gorgeous horse? I’m not saying it only out of bias, either.

Which means our handsome, geriatric-but-young-at-heart, half-blue eyed gelding is TWENTY-THREE! It’s a special thing that a pair of my favorite beings in the whole world share their special day. It’s incredible to see how time has flown and how kindly the past few years has treated them both.

One thing that’s been very apparent since Zoey’s birth is that she loves animals. LOVES them. As I train all my children to do because, let’s face it, if she didn’t, life on our farm would be pretty miserable. We have animals everywhere.

Her favorite seems to be the horses because she gets to brush, ride, and feed them whenever she feels like it. More often than not, when we go outside, she puts her helmet on and waits for her turn to ride, whether we were planning on riding or not.

Of course, we can’t pass up the penny pony at the grocery store ever because riding a horse in any form is her idea of a good time.

The only way we make it through grocery shopping: a cookie and the penny pony.

Zoey also loves books. Like the way people would roll in money, she rolls in books.

And anything sweet. Ice cream, candy, cake…she’ll eat her weight in dessert if we let her.

Ever since she’s been able to dress herself, she has very prominently displayed her very own style.

Sometimes it’s a bit bizarre and haphazard but what’s life without a bit of self-expression?

Among her favorite fashion accessories is shoes, hers, Jack’s, mine, her sisters, her doll’s…doesn’t matter.

Zoey loves the outdoors…

…in any season.

Less than two years younger than Henry, they do their fair share of bickering (and Zoey can keep up just fine with Henry) but for the most part, the two of them get along splendidly.

She also is just one of the girls and is always in the thick of things, from fixing hair to painting toenails to digging in the mud to doing chores with them.

Crazy sock day!

So naturally, when we’re all together, Zoey is at her most happy.

She’s a good eater.

Where’d that marshmallow go? All gone!

Sad it’s all gone. Being a toddler is rough.

Thankfully, folding clothes has the power to make her happy. Odd, but I’m not going to question it.

She’s been ready for a new sibling for a long time. Give her all the baby dolls!

And if she has a chance to swing, she’s all over it.

Just like all our children, summing up her vivacious personality, wit, spirit, and intrinsic cheerfulness feels impossible. It feels like I’ve known her forever though she’s barely more than a babe.

The weekend of Stoney and Zoey’s birthday was a lot like weekends usually are but we took the time to go out in the rain and wish Stoney a happy birthday, give him a good brushing (he always sheds like the dickens this time of year) and gave him his fill of fresh grass and carrots.

In the thick of it was, of course, Zoey. Thank goodness Stoney’s such a good boy.

When we were all showered and dry, we started on her cake with Zoey, again, in the thick of things.

After church, we did the traditional celebrating with presents, phone calls to the grandmas, and cake, which initially freaked her out…

…until she figured out cake and candles is fun!

She thought the idea of blowing out her candles while people sang to her was absolutely hilarious.

Gah! She’s soooo CUTE!

By the end of the day, she seemed to finally grasp the idea that it was a special day, all about her. After the number of “Happy Birthdays” she’d heard, she kept telling us it was her happy day.

I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve such fantastic people and animals in my life, but special days like birthdays are a good reminder how lucky I am to have another day with them.