"Being Nine is Fine"

Today is Anna's ninth birthday and what a birthday it was.
Colin and I spent some time this morning reminscing her 'birth' day, as it feels like just yesterday that I gave birth to our first born. She certainly gave us a run for our money as new parents but she's shown that all the trouble she put us through was worth it. Anna is a very responsible and kind young lady who loves to play imaginative games with her sisters and help out around the house.
The day started out with going out for breakfast. This has become an annual tradition as yesterday was the last day of tax season and we now have our husband and father back on Saturday mornings.
The real fun began when at around 10am we had 14 girls show up for a combined birthday party. Anna's friend, Christine, celebrated her birthday two days ago so we thought it would be nice to do one big party. We don't usually invite the whole class of girls but this year we thought we'd go all out. Although the weather was threatening, we managed to organize a scavenger hunt through the woods and around the property that kept them quite busy for a lot of the time. We also played tree tag and the traditional musical chairs to keep these girls from getting bored. All in all it turned out to be a successful party with a nice bunch of girls.


Anna reading her card from us - excited siblings patiently waiting for the unwrapping part.


Very proud to receive her first watch. She has been able to tell time for quite some time but we wanted to wait and give her a really nice watch for her birthday instead of satisfying her desire with a 'bubblegum machine' watch.


The two birthday girls. Anna in her 'Mary and Laura' dress and Christine in the orange capris.


The whole gang waiting for their piece of cake.


Playing tree tag.



Admiring her new crocs, part of her gift from Grandma and Grandpa M.