This is Finley. She's almost 8. That's a pretty big year for us. 8 is when you are eligible to be baptized as a member of our church. My dad was grilling up some dinner and the lighting was dreamy so I took the chance to snap some pictures of this girlie. She has always been pretty willing to pose for me.
My mom and dad have tried incredibly hard to ingrain the 80s in me. Especially the music. Well, here's an 80s reference for you: She has "the most unbelievable blue eyes I've ever seen."
Finley loves people and has since she was tiny. She loves to serve and entertain. She loves talking to new people and makes it very hard for them to leave.
I was a little surprised she let me take these pictures without brushing her hair first. Ainsley doesn't seem that much older than her and since Ainsley gets to wear make up, Finley thinks she ought to act grown up too. I caught her wearing mascara and told her 7 was too young for that kind of thing. She looked at me incredulously and said in her best sassy tone, "I had a meeting!"
Finley has been able to do the splits since she was 2. It's her favorite party trick. Up until she was 6, she would introduce herself saying, "I'm Finley and I can do the splits!" And down she would go, into perfect little splits. She has recently started taking gymnastics classes. In fact, I think the reason she was outside in the first place was to practice.
This girl is mighty persuasive. Once she knows what she wants, she is unrelenting. She has the art of begging with puppy dog eyes mastered.
For example: See those little stars in her ears? Ainsley and I had to wait until we were 11 to get our ears pierced.
Our neighbors are letting us borrow their keyboard until they get moved into their new house (which happens to be right through our backyard). Finley plays that thing at least 3 times a day. I don't know what she'll do when we have to give it back. Finley has herself convinced that I know how to play the piano. I may be able to read music, but I certainly don't know how to play the piano. I had to mark middle C with a piece of washi tape. I'm not even a little bit kidding. I can figure out the right hand of most of her favorite songs. She can't read music, but she memorizes songs from watching me stumble through them.
My mom and dad have always said that she is a miniature version of me. She is definitely as klutzy as I am. Quite often we will hear a bump, smack, or crash, and before she even has time to process the situation, she yells, "I'm okay!"
You never have to wonder how Finley is feeling. She wears every emotion plainly. She is extremely excitable and just as easily heartbroken.
She is also a goofball. Which makes for entertaining pictures.
Given the choice, Finley would wear leggings every day of the week.
Yup. Goofball. And she loves to put together outfits like this.
She held this pose for a solid minute until she was sure I had taken a picture.
This is about as gangster as she gets.
Finley is extremely tender. If she gets into trouble or thinks she's hurt someone, she's in hysterics.
Here's a better view of that outfit she picked out.