Isabelle's 10th Birthday Bash - Glow Style

Isabelle was so excited to turn 10 years old. She told us for weeks that she would then be a "tween" and that 10 year olds always have a big "birthday bash!" Her excitement and enthusiasm was contagious and the day that she turned 2 handfuls Grammie, Grandpa, Leo, her two besties and I all met her at school for a birthday lunch. She decided pretty quickly that a glow-in-the-dark party would be the theme of the bash and she wrote me a list of supplies to pick up at the store. She made her own evite, which included both boys and girls, and planned multiple games, snacks, and party favors. Ben and I did a pretty good job of making her vision a reality and the day after she turned 10 years old our backyard was filled with kids, dancing, glow sticks and laughter late into the night.







Isabelle at 10 years old is....
* INTENSE She feels things deeply whether it is joy or sadness.
* SMART She has had her best year ever in math, which may be her worst subject, and still has never opened her book to review her spelling words. She is always at the top of the class across the board and Ben and I often realize we are very lucky that academics are never a concern.
* ATHLETIC She loves to play soccer and has continued to improve every season. She loves to run, shoot hoops, bike, etc.
* GRACEFUL She moved up to a ballet class that is full of 6/7 graders and has eased in with beauty and skill. Her barr work is as lovely as anyones in the class.
* A CHEESE LOVER. She continues to love all things cheesy and could eat macaroni and cheese every meal most days. She is easy to feed.
* FRIENDLY She is a friend to everyone and includes everyone. We laughed at her birthday party group because it was honestly like the Breakfast Club.
* A GOOD EXAMPLE Olivia looks up to Isabelle almost to a fault. We put a lot of pressure on Isabelle everyday because we know that her little sister watches her every move, and although she is not perfect...she does a pretty dang good job.
* ADVENTUROUS She loves roller coasters, heights and everything for a thrill. She also asks us to move weekly because she wants to meet new friends, see new places, etc. She is always up for an adventure.
* AN ANIMAL LOVER She continues to love dogs, horses, and all things small and furry. She cannot wait to spend her summer in Montana playing with Cocoa and LiviBelle and the new horse Toby.
* GROWING UP This has been a big year of changes. She is a little bit more emotional, goes to bed much later, and has had to deal with girlfriend drama. She and I have covered the puberty talk and she took it all very maturely and has asked appropriate questions. Although we hate to see her face these new phases of life, we know we cannot stop them. We just hope that she continues to be as good natured about it all as she has been so far.

Happy happy 10th birthday to our little Jelly. We learn with you every year and are grateful for your patience and love. You are always loved by everyone you meet and Dad and I can't imagine our lives without your special spirit in it.

Lovely February

I think February might be my most favorite month. Especially living in south Texas with nice weather and mild winters, February is full of nothing but LOVE. This year we celebrated Valentines multiple times, Ben was the WatchDog and we continued to perfect our ballet. We played with Junie and Leo, were rockstars on the soccer field and read good books. Olivia was so pleased to finally be "big enough" to participate in Creekfest at the school. We raced first and then celebrated that night with too much fun and our besties. We babysat Cocoa and danced like cowgirls for Rodeo Week! February is a month that I could do-over again each year!

February means Happy Birthday to Olivia

I had a best friend tell me that once Olivia was born, I quit doing everything else. I've thought about that comment several times and I think it was true then and still rings true today. Olivia came into this world with energy and joy (and at lightening speed) and has been a bright spot in our days ever since. This year for her birthday she wanted to have all of her favorite friends ( and their siblings ) join her at her gymnastics studio, ASI, for some wild fun. When we made the guest list we started with about 75 people on it before we whittled it down to a manageable group for the party. Olivia has such a kind heart and would never want anyone to not feel included.  ASI put on a great party and Olivia was on cloud 9 having fun with all of her buddies.  She was a bit embarrassed to be the birthday girl and covered her ears when everyone sang Happy Birthday, but we loved that she felt so special and she was pleased that so many people wanted to share her special day.

Later in the week I brought in special treats for her school class and we had a birthday dinner and dessert with Grammie and Grandpa and the Vernons to wrap up the celebrating.  And in a blink of an eye, our baby girl was 6.

A few things about Olivia at six years old:
* She loves ice cream.  She will eat almost anything for dinner if we promise ice cream after.
* She does not love school.  It is too boring and repetitious for her.  If you want her to learn about trees, she needs to be outside touching trees.
* She loves nature.  She finds beauty in the world and loves birds, flowers, the sun, etc. Whenever she sees a tree being cut down, she cries real tears of sorrow.
* She is an artist.  Art class ( and her BFF Vera) are the only things she enjoys at school.
* She has a very sensitive heart.  She cannot stand for anyone to be sad or lonely.  When Isabelle gets in trouble for being unkind to her, Olivia begs for us to forgive her and not punish her.
* She is an engineer.  She loves to create, problem solve, etc, and excels in math.
* She loves to read nonfiction.  She just told me tonight...fiction is for fun but nonfiction is TRUE!
* She is tall and strong.  She is a head taller than most of her peers, which I cannot relate to, and she can cross the monkey bars with ease.

We love you sweet Olivia!  The world would be dark and dim without your spirit.