Hanky Doodle Candy: Rachel turns SIX!

Our Rachel Marian turned the big 6 last Saturday. I think she was quite possibly the most excited child EVER about her birthday. Seriously. She has talked about it for months and the days leading up to the big day were almost unbearable for her. Alas, September 29th came and we celebrated a bunch over the weekend! Pictures to follow, but first--a bit about the birthday girl. This picture below pretty much sums up Rachel. She is a very joyful child, hopping and jumping all the time and getting excited about even the smallest of things. We had just bought these cute polka-dotted rain boots for her and she was over the moon about them. When the rain came, she was ready! She and Emma were just about to leave for school, but she HAD to spend a few minutes dancing in the rain. Her sheer joy made me pause amidst the morning craziness and bask. I love it.

More about Rachel:

She loves to write notes and letters to people. All the time.
She can still be quite shy around kids her age and has a hard time approaching them and asking to play sometimes.
She really does not love sweet stuff. She likes her pancakes and waffles plain, no syrup. Not too much honey on her PB sandwich. And she sometimes says "this is too sweet" when eating something and won't eat the rest. She does like dessert and cookies, but only in small amounts.
She and Luke are best buddies. They play together all the time and have a ball (mostly). I love seeing what creative ideas they come up with.
Rachel and Emma are enjoying reading chapter books together right now. They cuddle in Emma's bed at bedtime, reading a few chapters of Junie B. Jones and giggling at Junie B's funny-ness. :)
She is pretty good about picking up her stuff at the end of the day without being reminded.
Her reading has taken off in the past few months. She can read many picture books now, only needing help on the big words.
She loves to tell stories aloud about the pictures she draws. So adorable.
Her favorite song is "I am a Child of God" and she will belt it out. It's quite a spiritual experience to sing this song with her.
Her prayers are remarkable. She is very thoughtful as she prays, even praying for her enemies and asking Heavenly Father to bless the bishop to divide up the tithing to all the poor people that need it. Amazing.
She loves steak, Wendy's, macaroni and cheese, apples, sandwiches, and cereal.
She really is a ray of sunshine. We just can't get enough of that huge smile! Love you Ray Ray!

The birthday celebrating started two days early with a special great-grandparents date to Wendy's and a movie. So fun!

We took a family trip to the zoo on her birthday. It was super crowded and many of the exhibits were closed, but we still had fun. The elephants, giraffes, and tigers were the favorites.

So hard to get a good pic of all four! I have to laugh at all of our attempts. :)

Opening presents later in the day.

On Sunday, we had a big party for her and invited family and friends over for hamburgers with all the yummy sides. Daddy made her birthday cake this year, much to the relief of her mom, who is somewhat cake-impaired. He surprised her with this darling kitty cake and she was one happy girl! Look at that face! What a sweet daddy.