Zoe's 7th birthday is coming up and I haven't taken any real portraits of her in quite a while. Swimming selfies don't count as portraits in my book. We took a blanket and Charlotte's Web outside with us and enjoyed a special evening full of little nothings. 

She read a few pages, then decided to climb the trees nearby, in her dress. That's our girl. While climbing she discover a nest of rollie-pollies. She grabbed my camera and took some pictures. Some monarch butterflies flew around her - she jumped down off the tree and chased them for a while. I wish I had a video of that 10 minute stretch of time. It was like everything that's great about being a kid, rolled into a few minutes.

Lately, her aging seems to be lightening fast. She is has gone from little girl to full blown girl and tween is in the horizon. This age has been the most special by far. She shares her secrets with me. We talk about all the many topics she is interested in. She loves math and devours chapter books within hours. 

She has the most adorable freckles just on the bridge of her nose. She idolizes her daddy and jumps at any chance to spend time just the two of them. 

A cherry slush from Sonic makes her day and she asks to go to the pool everyday; rain or shine. She gets compliments on her manners anywhere we go. She has a better handle on the tough stuff than I do. She loves her Book of Mormon and brings it to school to read during free time each day. 

Animals and nature are by far her favorite things. She has a soft spot for animals, including insects. She has a big heart, and I hope it always stays that way.