I cannot believe I am saying this, but my niece is officially a year old! Where in the world has time gone? It seems like just yesterday that I got THE text - the one saying she was finally here. Nathan and I were on a mini Virginia vacation at the time, and changed our plans on the last day to go meet her.

Grace was so, so tiny. I had seen infants before, but never one just a few hours old. She slept when we saw her that day, and we didn't get to hold her. I vividly remember just staring at her sweet little face and thinking about how loved she was, and she didn't even know it.

Fast forward to now, and Grace is a walking (somewhat), talking (somewhat), little girl with a huge personality and a still-to-be-determined hair color. She has absolutely stolen our family's hearts, and we couldn't be more smitten! She made me into an aunt and Nathan into an uncle, and I become more excited each day to know that I get to be a part of her life throughout the years.

Happy Birthday, little Gracie. I hope you know one day how much we all love you. Judging by the amount of pictures we have of you, I think it's pretty obvious! I love you and I'm so excited to see how you grow. This past year I saw you learn how to grab, smile, laugh, crawl, walk, and start to talk. This next year is going to be amazing, and my secret hope is that I'll finally hear you say my name :)

For all those who don't get to see pictures of this sweetie day in and day out, here are some pictures that I've snapped over the last few months. Enjoy!