Happy 5th Birthday!

Time for one of my favorite kinds of posts- a look back at my favorite pictures of Leila taken over the course of the year. It's so hard to believe that she is turning FIVE! Too old! Stop growing so fast! 

Leila enjoying a cupcake on her fourth birthday. This is right after we picked up Uncle Linc.

With a grandma and an auntie at the Calgary Stampede.

Leila and Grandma Braun- July 2012

A day in Waterton- July, 2012

Even though her local school career was short-lived, she gave it an honest go, and sure looked cute in her uniform! 

I love the morning sunlight in this picture, and her bedhead. She can often be found playing at the window ledge with any number of her little toys.

Posing in a doorway in Shanghai

When you can't decide which hairband to wear, you may as well wear them all!

A few stats:
What Leila wants to be when she grows up: a mommy that's a doctor (Go Leila!)
Favorite color: Pink and purple
Favorite Show: Justin Time
Favorite Bible story: "When bread came down from the sky, and when there was a path through the water, and Pharaoh and his army sinked".
Most looking forward to this summer: being a flower girl and seeing Madeline's cast
Favorite food: ice cream and macaroni
New stamps in her passport (since this won't always be the case, I may as well include it while we can!): Macau, Philippines, and three trips to China

Getting a ride from Auntie Nett in Macau

 A few milestones this past year:
- getting her ears pierced
- she has a pretty good handle on printing uppercase and lowercase letters and numbers. Knowing how much printing homework she will get in kindergarten I haven't done much to work with her on it, I mostly just let her do her own thing and it's happened on it's own.
- swimming and skating is slowly coming along

Pretending it's cold for some Christmas-y pictures. 

Leila enjoyed it when a guest musician came to Sparkle and gave a concert. 

Looking cool in Cebu!

Keeping cool in Cebu

At the rice fields in Guilin. And looking mis-matched. We didn't bring enough warm clothes and also didn't account for how quickly we would go through them in the rainy weather!

Leila, I've had such a special year having just you at home with me. I was secretly glad that school didn't work out. We have spent hours together this past year traveling on the bus or MTR to wherever we are going, and I love that you still insist on cuddling on my lap. You make us laugh with your quirky sense of humor and always amaze us with your imagination and creativity. You are a wonderful daughter and a great little sister to Annika. We love you so much, and can't wait to see what your fifth year will bring! Happy Birthday! XOXO