The biggest issue Brenna had about our move back south was that she would miss having her birthday in Sarnia with her friends. So, despite the craziness of living apart, managing a move, and building a house from another country, we decided to throw party planning into the mix and celebrate her birthday early so that we could enjoy it with her friends.
Like every year, she settled on a theme, we designed an invitation, and the planning began. This year she wanted Neon Glow in Dark. We decorated the upstairs party table, had neon tie-died t-shirts for a party craft, and built a curtain over the basement entrance to block the light for the 100s of neon bracelets and necklaces that were waiting for the kids.
The party was a chaotic success. Things got a little crazy during the craft. There are no pictures of the 15 girls all covered in plastics bags, spritzing tie-die all over the kitchen because it was literally all hands on deck to contain the permanent color. A mom may have been surprised when she found that her blond-haired daughter now had pink highlights. They moved the party into the basement where there was lots of screaming in the dark. It was definitely the loudest party so far. The girls were covered with glow-in-dark jewelry on the their necks, arms, legs, and heads.
Despite the extra stress it placed on the move situation, I'm very glad we had her party in Sarnia before we left. This group of girls have been together since 1st grade and it has been such a great group. Some of these girls have been a permanent fixture at our house since the first week we moved in and they came knocking on the door asking if Brenna could come out and play. We were very blessed in the house and school that God placed us in and these girls were a big reason for that.
Two months later, Brenna's actually birthday arrived just one short week after we moved into the house. We had presents and cookie cake that morning. Jacob took off work and we decided to celebrate with a day-trip to the Houston Downtown Aquarium. She wore her new Dallas Cowboys Dak jersey and we rode all the rides, played all the games, and even rode the train twice because she like the great white shark attack so much.
It's hard to believe she's double digits and will be off to middle school next year. I'm so proud of the kid she's becoming. She's had to handle a lot in her 10 years. This was her 3rd move and 5th school to attend. While there have been some struggles, she always manages to take everything on with a practical and positive attitude. She looks at life as an adventure and she does a great job of making the most out of it. I pray that she carries this faithful fearlessness and God-given joy with her in the years to come.
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