By the time {A}’s birthday came, which was following the later part of the long 4th of July weekend, we were on a partying roll. Per tradition in our family, the birthday person gets to choose what they’d like to do as a family, within reason. {A} had a special wish indeed this year, but it needed to wait until the following day. THAT exciting event, ultimately with a couple surprises in store for us, will be the next post in this section. (You don’t want to miss it!) So meanwhile, we spent her actual birthday at home hanging out most of the day, which was very relaxing and enjoyable.
{A} is officially our first teenager! Despite all of the warnings about parenting and the teen years, I don’t expect much to change any time soon.
Here’s a peek at her day:
Her birthday breakfast, which had a special twist this year….
….instead of the birthday number pancakes, Daddy made……
….a birthday number omelet!!
Yes, we are waiting for him to stop outdoing himself, too.
We were all excited to swim in our new pool! LOL.
It’s just a 16′ wide cheap one, with the inflatable ring. But you know, it doesn’t take much to thrill us!
Bomb Pops!
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“Word to the mother”. Literally. He was talking to me. lol ; )
Summertime smiles.
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The birthday girls dinner request: Sausage with peppers, onions and cheese, on a roll.
Instead of birthday cards, the triplets wrote {A} love letters. <sniff> Among the sweet things they expressed, they told her how happy they are to have her as their big sister, why, and how much they love her. She really does have a unique and special relationship, with each of them.
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Grandma sent this birthday gift in the mail. A pewter heart locket, with her initial on it. She loves it.
I was coming out of my skin, waiting for her to open her gift from us!
Yeah Baby!! A sweet camera! You know me….I researched this to death! It’s a Canon PowerShot G11. As a girl who shoots an SLR on full manual mode all of the time, it was an education for me, shopping for a point and shoot! But I found a beautiful one, that has features even I can be happy with! See….our gifts are not usually this big in expense. But, while this camera is pretty much hers, it’ll be the family camera for our little excursions, etc, when I don’t want to be lugging around all of my equipment, but know I’ll want to get photos. Still, I’m very excited for her to have her own camera, and she has really been enjoying it ever since! It was a great idea for her right now. She is using it for all kinds of projects of her own.
She wanted a Carvel ice cream cake, for her birthday this year. How unusual for our baker! But, her wish was our command. So, we found one for her.
It was not peanut-safe, so {S} had to have an ice cream sandwich instead. Poor kid. He looks so upset, doesn’t he? ; )
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Michael and I couldn’t stop looking at our birthday girl that day. She looked so……13. I had ongoing flashbacks of her birth, as I always do on my kids’ birthdays. Those memories always make these days all the more sentimental. I don’t quite know why I always do that to myself. I am so happy to look at how beautiful they are turning out (inside, and out). And yet I miss my babies and I want them back!! It’s a bitter-sweet tailspin of turmoil, I throw myself into.
When {A} was a baby, a lady we did not know at Mass, told us she had ‘such a sunny disposition‘. I never really forgot that. Mostly because her demeanor reminds me of it every day. She just has a light and happiness about her, that we really love. Except maybe first thing in the morning. And an occasional day. She can be on the grumpy side, then. Anyway, we just love her, and couldn’t feel more blessed, with all she brings to our family. Except maybe first thing in the morning. And the occasional day. O.k., maybe even then.
After our relaxing, eating, celebrating, staring, birth-remembering and crying, we all went out bowling for a couple of games. : ) Then we went home, and had an early night. We had a BIG day the next day, which was a birthday event {A} will never forget.
Stay tuned for Part IV, when we tell you all about it.
