Amanda's Birthday

We have an eight-year old in the house!  For the second time in her short life, Amanda's birthday landed ON Thanksgiving Day.

The weekend before Thanksgiving is when my side of the family celebrates Thanksgiving together.  Since Amanda's party was the day after, it was easy to make a sleepover out of it.  Amy/Madison kept the girls (and Trevor, per special request) and I took Nathanael and Rocco.

Started the day with these two sweeties in their too-small spidey jams from last year.

At 11:30 the rest of the crew came over for an early lunch of boxed mac and cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches (also by request).

After a quick change, they were headed off to the community pool we'd reserved for two hours, all to ourselves.  When I was asking Amanda what she wanted to do for her birthday and who she wanted there, she had a very short list.  Try as she might, she just really couldn't think of anyone she wanted there other than her cousins/best friends.  What a gift they have in each other!

It was sad to not be heading off with them, but Shaun and Amy were troopers to load up the 10 kids in two cars...Amy even took a slew of pictures.  I can choose to be bitter that I missed my daughter's party because of cancer or blessed that there are so many filling in the gaps.  I choose to be blessed.

I just can't get enough of pictures of kids playing in and around a pool.  SO much joy and an extra-special treat to be doing it in November!

I threw some cupcakes together for Amanda to take to school because that is important when you're in third grade.

And the way for it to be the best birthday of all for this particular birthday girl is something only God could have taken care of.  SNOW! Early Thanksgiving/Birthday morning the kids had bundled up and dug out the sleds and snowboards.  I warned them that it might not be enough snow to do anything with, but they wouldn't hear of it.  And wouldn't you know, it was just enough for everyone to have a grand time!

When it was dessert time, the family gathered around to honor the three cousins birthdays which are on November 25, 27 & 29, ages 2, 8, 16.

Amanda is a shining light to all who meet her.  She adds spice to our lives and keeps Shaun and I humbled in our parenting.  She has a big, beautiful heart and is such a blessing.