Happy HAPPY birthday

Sweet little AJ. She has blessed our lives in so many ways. She came with such a calm, kind, and independent spirit. That independence was such a needed blessing when she was small (though as she gets older it has been a bit much to swallow). I'm grateful for her willingness and desire to comfort, to help, and to include others. I love her bright smile, her sweet hugs, and her creativity. We are so grateful to have her in our family!!Things have been so busy I wasn't sure when I would get the birthday shopping done. But Costco had me covered this year! I found everything she wanted while shopping for groceries. They had a webkinz pack with the two she wanted most (a husky and pink cat), the Hello Kitty CD player she has been asking for the last two years, and a littlest petshop set with a husky and lamb (two of the three she asked for)! I was beyond thrilled to finish my grocery and birthday shopping all at once. And she couldn't have been happier with her loot!

(Squeal of delight) "I have wanted this forever!"

We give our kids the option of having a birthday party at home with unlimited guests or taking one friend to do something bigger. This year was a tough choice. She really wanted to take her best friend to Build a Bear Workshop, but didn't want to leave her cousins. . . so we took all 4 girls and had a slumber party too. I have to admit I was a bit relieved afterward when she told me she didn't want another birthday slumber party until she is 12 or 13.

I honestly thought I was going to get out of doing a themed cake this year. I planned to do a double layered marble cake (her favorite). But when I asked her what kind of frosting she said, "well I like vanilla, but want it to be a brown bear with pink nose and ears." A bear?! Her response, "It is a Build a Bear party." When I explained my plan she was so disappointed I had to comply to her bear request. Here she is blowing out the candles!