The Savage Savages: Phoebe is 4!

Phoebe turned four years old on June 12th. She had been asking for a Cinderella cake for about eight months of the past year, and she enjoys tea parties, so we decided to have a little princess tea party for her birthday with the girls from her Sunday school class and our next door neighbors. It was so much fun to plan with Phoebe. She picked out some of the menu (the "hot pink fruit dip" from our favorite cookbook, for example), put together the goody bags, and helped decorate. The night before the party, as we said good-night, she called out "I'm a princess party planner!"

Making the goody bags...

Daddy helping with the cake...

The finished cake...

Helping Mommy decorate...

How Phoebe decorated the sofa table to welcome her guests...

Let the party begin!

Sisters!

Phoebe's princess guests...

And the special surprise guest, Stephanie, who Phoebe has loved since we first set foot in Reynoldsburg...

Another very special celebration was her family party with her birthday buddy, Ausin (Aunt + Cousin) Tara at Tara's pool. Phoebe got to swim, eat pizza, cake, and Jeni's ice cream, a special Columbus treat. For their first party together, click here.

Mimi, Deeda, and Will in the shade...

Birthday buddies forever!!

This was also a special birthday because at four years old, children in our church start going to "big church", or to the service in the sanctuary with their families, so Phoebe received her first "complete" Bible. Thanks to the ideas of friends, we have a backpack full of activities for Phoebe during the service as she learns to sit for a longer period of time. Her first Sunday in big church was a very special Sunday, as it was the Sunday on which our cousin Tara was baptized to make it known that she had trusted Jesus for her salvation! Praise the Lord! It was also Greg's first baptism. What an incredibly special day.

Phoebe also got to celebrate her birthday with her grandparents. Her Mimi and Deeda made her chocolate chip pancakes and a chocolate peanut butter cake for her birthday, and her Nonnie and Papa came up from Mississippi to celebrate with her, and took her to her favorite place to eat, Chick-Fil-A.

Phoebe is growing into a very articulate, observant, caring, social little girl. She is very sensitive to the needs of her siblings, and loves to ask lots of questions. Though she typically does not show a lot of emotion (taking after her Daddy), you can definitely tell when she is excited about something! She is our little peace-maker, who loves to make cards and color pictures for other people (and she will also suggest where you should hang it). She is also a lover of books (especially Richard Scarry ones) and singing songs...mostly ones that she has made up. We pray that she will see her need for a Savior early in life and realize that she cannot be "good" on her own, but only with Jesus' help. She is truly a gift from God. May we be faithful stewards of this gift!

A few more fun birthday pictures...

Getting her nails painted for the first time...