fourteen!

Our little girl is 14!  How did that happen, I ask?

Her cute friends called me the day before her bday, asking if they could come decorate her room during school.  Of course, I said yes (and then hurried to clean her room :)!    They called me just before they got to our house, telling me to come outside and take a picture.  "You'll know why when you see us," they told me.  

I sure did!  It's not often you see a car driving down the road with two beautiful girls and a swimming pool on top!  

They filled her room with the pool, balloons, crepe paper, and lots of fun other goodies!

She was super suprised and excited!

The next morning, which was her official bday, we woke her up with our traditional birthday donut and candles.  Usually, the kids request chocolate milk (a rare treat around here), but Ryenne isn't a big fan and asked for apple juice instead.  She loves herself some apple juice! (She has also started a drink-out-of-canning-jar trend around here too.)

She has decided to try out for the volleyball team this year, and so her sisters gave her a certificate for a new volleyball.

After seeing one of my good friends do something similar for her girls on their 12th birthday, I was able to put together one of my favorite birthday gifts yet- a special book filled with letters from many of the amazing women in our life.  Aunts, grandmas, older cousins, friends moms, and some of my special friends too (and of course her awesome Dad!).  I had asked them to write her a letter telling her what they wish they had known when they were fourteen and entering the high school years (along with any special words of love for Ryenne, of course!)  Every letter was amazing.  I loved reading them as I compiled the book.  I feel so thankful for the many remarkable examples the girls and I have to look up to in our lives.  It makes it so much easier to raise good girls when they have so many good women to pattern their lives after.

Although I knew she would come to appreciate the book over time, I didn't know how excited she would be right now.  She actually really loves it though, and I have been happy to be able to talk about some of the perspective she has gained from reading through her letters.  I can't wait to do this for each of the girls.

 I loved this cute birthday cake Claire drew on the chalk board for Ryenne's birthday!  She gets so excited about` everyone's birthdays!  I love having little ones around to celebrate special days like this- my favorite is the way my little's gather a few of their most prized personal treasures, wrap them in a blanket, and give them away to the birthday boy or girl.  One of these days, we won't have those fun, heartfelt little presents. . .

Happy Birthday Ryenne girl!  We love you!