I’ve had an idea to write this post for several years now, and just never got around to it. But suddenly tonight, I knew it was the right time.

Melissa Atkins wrote a blog in 2011 starting, “There was a time when you were five years old, and you woke up full of awesome” and I knew exactly who she was talking about.

Because I know someone who wakes up full of awesome. Every. Single. Day.

Eight years ago today, I got to meet this amazing gal.

Little did I know that this sweet angelic baby (who could easily projectile puke 6 feet – what a talent!) was going to grow up into one of the spunkiest, sweetest, most loving and most energetic people I have ever met. Seriously – she has more feisty squeezed into her little body than should be physically possible. And she wakes with an amazing smile on her face every single gosh darn morning. Usually even before the sun has come up.

When she was about 4 1/2, I bought her an alarm clock to keep her IN bed, not to get her out!

Sometimes I feel like I spend my days trying to figure out how to expend all that energy before she spontaneously combusts. Actually, I do spend my days like that. Partly in hopes that she will sleep (so I can), and partly in total amazement. Where in the world does it all come from?

This chick is one cool kid. Her exuberance and zest for life draw people to her like moths to a flame. She can walk up to a total stranger and make best friend in SECONDS. Effortlessly. Hubby and I even have look for each other that says, Yup, here she goes again.     She has her own fashion sense. I definitely had nothing to do with that!

Life for her is an adventure just waiting to happen and she dying to dive into the deep end and revel in all of it. I have honestly never met someone so just full of JOY. She speaks in exclamation points and means it.

Her imagination is a deep ocean of amazing ideas and FUN for all involved. She has this insatiable thirst for knowing – knowing anything and everything. She can ask you more questions than you knew EXISTED.

Really. She can make your ears hurt.

She has this massive heart and capacity for caring. She loves to the point where you just can’t help but smile and love back, warmed just by being in her presence.

This girl is just so full of awesome, it can’t help but fall out on anyone who is around her.

I pray she never ever loses it .