In a blink of an eye, my girl turned three. Three going on fourteen. One look into her firey little newborn eyes and I could've predicted exactly who my girl could be at three. The perfect combination of love meets strength. My girl will stage a fearsome living room battle (sword and all - thanks to Uncle Kevin's brilliant birthday gift) in one second and then run over to her baby brother, cradle him in her arms and give him a gentle kiss in the next. Her endless supply of energy and lust for life is both exhausting (in a good way) and infectious. We were happy people before she came along but now I know that life with Claire, is the only way to live.

In honor of my girl's birthday we went up to the spot where my mom grew up for a little shoot. My mom picked a flower from her mother's camellia shrub and the rest is photo history. Did I mention that she's gorgeous? It sounds strange but there are so many parts to her that I admire, that I sometimes forget this about her. Luckily, I get plenty of reminders :)