So four years ago, on March 29th, 2005 this little fireball entered the world…and we have never been the same.

For anyone that knows Meggie, knows that we have survived the good, the bad and the honest. And I am sure that there is more to come…

After marrying a red-head, I dreamed of one day having little girls with big red boingy curls. When Erin came out with brown hair, my hopes were dashed and I just assumed at that point, that I carried the dominant gene and that our children would not have the coveted red locks. So it was much to our surprise when our second born, Megan came out particularly bald but with a definite “glow” of orange to her little cue ball. I suppose that I should have been careful for what I wished for, because as any parent of a redhead can tell you, they tend to be, well, let’s just say a little firey inside…passionate if you will, to put it politely. I did not realize at the time that there were numerous books published about redheads. Apparently, they historically tend to be much more passionate souls…ones that love more deeply, that feel emotions at a more intense level and even require higher levels of anesthesia while being operated on because they tend to be so ornary…who would have thunk?

Megan has really come into her own in her four short years. She gave me about a gazillion gray hairs in her first three years of life, but she has finally mellowed out. She and I can really go at it at times because we are just too darn like each other. Two hard-headed chicks with strong opinions. But for as much as she unnerves me, she is by biggest lovebug…always ready with a compliment, a hug or a quirky, witty retort. And I just love her for her unique little soul…

It’s funny…I think every parent has a push-pull feeling to parenthood. You want your children to grow, become independent and become the people that God intended them to be. Sometimes, you are burdened by the day to day of kids…the grind of the nitty-gritty of rearing them in their young years. But overall in the big picture, you really just want them to stay young and bottle them up just as they are today so that you can keep them like that forever. All of their funny quips, their innocence, their giggles, their dreams…

So today was one of those days…Megan had her fourth birthday bash at our house today with all of her friends…yep, 18 four years inside our house at the same time…does anyone have any valium? It actually went shockingly well and Megan had the time of her life.

I want to stop time and keep her a little longer just as she is today. My little four year old birthday girl…