Catching Up ~ Party Time!

•PinkAndPurple it must be a special girls birthday party! And my ~revolt against the typical junk filled goody bag~ a book from the dollar bin, homemade bookmark, pencil, and an organic fruit snack. {Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, A Little Princess, The Secret Garden, Alice in Wonderland, The Jungle book, The Story Of Dr Doolittle, The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn, Treasure Island}

With Kayla's birthday in late July we pretty much have two options for parties: pool or indoor experience other than in my home.  The last friend party she had was for her 4th and it was at a gymnastics school.  So this time she wanted a pool party which worked out perfectly because our gym has a pretty fantastic pool!  Unfortunately, on the day of her party it was not quite 'summer weather'.  The upside of having your birthday party on a super cloudy not so hot day is you get the entire pool to yourself!

After an hour of pool time we headed indoors to the party room for some games, cupcakes, and gifts!

I can't believe my sweet girl is actually SEVEN!  We had such a rough start, that first year ... time seemed to just stand still and I thought it would never end.  But truly, in a blink, things change and the years have just flown by!  I am amazed most every day ... I just look at her and marvel how her little body has evolved from squishy baby, chubby toddler, lanky preschooler, to strong girl.  She's loud and opinionated, kind and true, stubborn and sometimes bossy, determined and a friend to just about everyone she meets.  She loves nature and searching for bugs, she wants to be a paleontologist when she grows up.  

She likes to play school, make her own jewelry and wear dresses and skirts to church, but that's about as 'girly' as she gets.  She's a tomboy at heart.  My guess is that has a lot to do with how we brought her up.  We were never ones to overindulge in 'princess fare', dollies, and all things pink and frilly.  We've always encouraged her to get out, explore, get dirty, and create.  We dubbed her the puzzle wizard when she was 2 and had mastered her first jigsaw.  She has now graduated to 300+ piece puzzles.    

My girl.  I love you so, SO much.  It has been a privilege mothering you.  Some days are difficult, some days are easy, most days fall somewhere in between .... but always ... always a blessing.