I've just realized that my once active blog has simply turned into a way to document my children's milestones. And I'm ok with that. It'll be fun to look back and read about the girls. Of course, it'll get more and more challenging coming up with photoshoot ideas for each birthday –– and what more can be said that hasn't been said already? Well, at least it'll be difficult coming up with new material for my older daughter, Harper. She loves dance, dance and more dance! But Lola, my 7-year-old baby, is the complete opposite of her big sis in so many ways.

She loves everything. She wants to try everything.

So for this year's birthday blog, I'm documenting what Lola loves best –– at least at this point in her life.

This year she has been introduced to basketball. Although she dances (and, out of convenience, I would've loved for her to only dance just like her sister), I shouldn't be surprised that she wants to pick up the one sport that made both of her parents absolute legends.

SO KIDDING!!!! We were average.

Little Miss Lola, on the other hand, could be pretty dang good with that spunky spirit!

We just need to get her to stop doing hip-hop moves down the court after scoring a basket. ;)

The next of Lola's favorite things is her sister. Although she would never admit it, she looks up to her big sis in the most precious way. Nothing is better then watching them crack each other up, have dance parties around the house, and engage in imaginative play for hours.

I adore this photo of the girls side by side. Sometimes I can't tell them apart when I glance at a photo of one of them. However, I see so many differences here...just like their personalities.

Speaking of her sister, Lola LOVES to make Harper laugh. Like belly-laugh laugh. Lola is so goofy. She's an entertainer, and this didn't just recently start. When she was a baby, we would say she was like a tiny royal jester. And so it continues. 

I see the performer in Lola. She doesn't take herself too seriously. She ALWAYS dances "like no one is watching."

I wish I could be more like Lola in that respect.

One last thing: our girl loves to read. This is a pleasant surprise to me because I've never been a big reader. Also, thanks to a major parent-fail on our part, we sort of "forgot" to work with Lola (our second child) on letters at a young age. So at her first pre-k parent/teacher conference at age 4, we were told she only knew the letters L, O, A, and X, and it hit us that we should've been working with her all along like we had done for our firstborn! Once we put in an effort on our end, we realized how dang smart this kid is.

She caught up quickly and then some. And now she asks for chapter books as gifts!

Happy 7th birthday, you dancing, goofy, sporty, smarty-pants girl! We love you more than words can say!!!