Brenna’s 13th Birthday

Brenna’s 13th birthday was, like so many other things, hampered by Covid.  She very much wanted to have a big party with all her friends, but we were still under strict Covid restrictions that would only allow for a limit of three households indoors with a maximum of seven people.  Looking back we were really fortunate that her birthday fell during that time.  It wasn’t long before the restriction were reapplied and we wouldn’t have been able to have even the little gathering that we did do.  

Despite the limitations, we wanted to give her something special to mark her passage into her teenage years.  We used a creative interpretation of the rules and hoped that none of our neighbors took notice of the infraction and turned us in!  We counted Caitlin as part of our household, since she had technically been part of our social bubble through the previous weeks thanks to our Scotland getaway.  She invited two other friends and they had a fun celebration at home.  The cupcakes, pizza, and popcorn were free flowing.  There was a homegrown game of jeopardy that was all about the birthday girl and a role-play murder mystery that carried on for hours.  The girls stayed over and spent the entire night doing makeup and tiktok dances.  She’s got a great group of girls here and we were thankful to have the opportunity to celebrate with them.

Mediterranean Cruise Vacation for Brenna's 12th Birthday

I didn't want Brenna's birthday to get lost in the move, so we had a small get together with her friends before we left.  While I offered to do the usual party themed celebration, she preferred it to be nothing more than just a fun hangout, no decorations, no cake, no fuss.  There was a lot going on during that time.  Our furniture departed for the journey to Scotland long before we did and since we sold the house, we were forced out earlier than we expected and had to live in a hotel for the final week in Houston.  Given everything else I was dealing with at the time I was especially grateful for Brenna's understanding.  Knowing that her birthday would fall shortly after we got to Britain and I didn't expect we'd know anyone, we decided to plan our summer vacation as Brenna's birthday celebration.  Brenna loves cruising as much as we do and she helped me plan everything.  On her actual birthday she and I enjoyed a spa day where we got facials, manicures, and pedicures in preparation for our cruise vacation.  

The pre-birthday hangout

Brenna's 11th Birthday

We celebrated Brenna's 11th birthday with a star-themed party.  Like every year before, she picked her theme, created her invitations, and we carried that through to the decorations.  Her friends all came over for donuts, pizza, and cupcakes.  The girls started things off with a 30-clue scavenger hunt that carried them throughout the house in search of their treasure.  The treasure was a unique origami one-dollar bill.  Jacob folded each dollar in a different pattern for each girl.  After the scavenger hunt, the girls gathered in the kitchen to create their own star-shaped bath bomb.  Crafts are always crazy when you get that many girls together!  Next, they all changed into bathing suits and hit the backyard for a massive water balloon fight.  Finally, it was back inside to cool down with star-shaped ice pops. We had a couple of kids hang around for the "after-party" which turned into a sleep over.  Brenna certainly had a fun filled day! 

Brenna's 10th Birthday

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. 

Brenna's 9th Birthday

Another year has come and gone and it's seems to be the fastest one yet.  I feel like I just wrote this post yesterday for her 8th birthday.  But, while the time seems to have passed quickly, the changes have been great.

She's done a lot of growing up in the last year.  She's slowly made the transition from "little kid" to "big kid".  She notices much more about the world around her, which has led to some interesting discussions.  She also continues to grow in her own personality.  She continues to be the most determined and strong willed (yet impatient) child I know, and it spans over all aspects of her life.  She likes to succeed (which is my polite way of saying she likes to win.....at everything!) and we are constantly trying to teach the importance of character, even in the disappointments.  She likes to be right!  She never backs down in a disagreement.  Unfortunately, while I do my best to teach her that it's ok to have your own opinion and you don't always have to agree, she hasn't quite learned the importance of picking your battles!  So, it seems we're always in a debate about some trivial issue.  While all of this may sound like she's a fussy child and she does have her moments, I can assure you that she is very much a happy, enjoy-life-to-the-fullest, joyful kid and looks at life from a positive prospective.  All that strong will and determination makes her confident in herself.  She has no insecurities and I hope she keeps that confidence as we head into those tough middle-school years.  She is very independent and prefers to manage things on her own, while still needing a few reminders from mom on occasion.  She's very smart and learns quickly.  She has a very analytical mind and her favorite games are the ones that require strategy, like Rook or Mexican Train dominoes.  Jacob's not the type to "let her win" and she recently celebrated the great achievement of besting her daddy (and me, of course) for the first time in a Rook match.  God has a special plan for this child and I can see Him working in her life.  She is the greatest blessing God has ever given me and Jacob and we pray for her constantly. 

This year she picked flowers for a birthday party theme and we sat down to build her invitation together.  She decided to have the party at home in the backyard and after much negotiation we agreed to just invite her girl friends.  Decorating for the party is always part of the fun and we found some really cute flower decor to go with our theme.  I usually just order a birthday cake or cupcake for the convenience, but this year Brenna talked me into baking our own.  We dedicated the whole day before the party to putting up party decorations and baking cupcakes.  She had a great time frosting her cupcakes with a rainbow of icing colors.  She decorated each one with a specific friend in mind.

Brenna's 8th Birthday Slumber Party

This birthday we spent a little time looking back.  Recently Brenna has enjoyed looking through her baby pictures and videos and we've enjoyed telling her the stories of her early years that she's doesn't always remember.  It's amazing what this little girl can do.  In these first eight years she's moved twice, relocated to another country, attended four different schools, studied three different languages, and logged more flight time than any other kid her age I know.  And through it all she still radiates pure joy!  People, places, and things; she find excitement and adventure in it all.  God knew her path and He blessed her with this amazing personality that has driven her through all these life changes.  I try to teach her so much stuff, but its nothing compared to what she's teaching me.  The greatest lesson so far being that there's happiness everywhere.  You just have to find it, and if you look hard enough, you will.  She's beautiful, smart, active, and fearless.  It's a scary combination.  She does everything with determination, especially her sports.  She's a terrible loser, especially stubborn, and likes to be right.  All around, she keeps us on our toes and in the middle of some "The lesson to be learned is...." situation, either for her or us.  We love her beyond measure and pray for her constantly.

This year for her birthday, Brenna decided to keep things small.  Rather than a large party with all her school and neighborhood friends, she decided to have a slumber party with just a few of her favorite girl friends. I thought it was a great idea!  A small group at home meant they could enjoy the day longer and have more fun activities verses a quick party with tons of kids at another location.  After she decided on the slumber party went started to discuss the theme.  Each year Brenna picks her party theme based on her current likings.  She said she wanted something fun, colorful, and girly, which quickly materialized into a butterfly theme.

She had a long list of activities that she wanted to do; scavenger hunt, piñata, slip-n-slide, hot tub, painting, fort building, movies with popcorn, mani/pedi.  I did my best to accommodate all her requests, but even I had to draw the line at a candy themed game of hide and seek.  I was afraid it would attract too many bugs!

Brenna carefully selected a cute butterfly background for her invitation.  She and I worked together to decorate the house for the party.  I found some fun headbands, pajamas, and crafts that went perfectly with our butterfly theme.  She also picked out a cute butterfly outfit for her party dress.

Brenna's 7th Birthday

Time goes by so quickly.  Especially now that Brenna is in school and a part of so many activities.  It feels like the years are zooming by as we move from one season's activities to the next.  This year it was hard to believe that it was already time for another birthday.  The year has been a whirl wind of experiences that have blessed, enhanced, and changed her life!

At 7 years old Brenna has a sweet nature and is very outgoing.  She's not shy and I would say she handled the adjustment to our new home and surroundings better than any of us.  She loves making friends!  She's smart and sharp and excels at school!  Sometimes I worry that her need to build things from scraps of paper and cardboard, combined with her knack for mathematics (which she proclaims as her favorite subject) will lead her to be an engineer.  I have mixed feelings about that!  She's stubborn and strong willed which will serve her well in some aspects of life but it has already lead to frustrations in others.  She can't be still or quiet for more than 3 minutes.  It's simply impossible!  The energy just bursts out of her.  She's managed to harness some of this energy through sports.  She loves soccer, basketball, and tennis.  She's proven herself to be a strong athlete and competitor!  She's amazingly beautiful with a perfect complexion, dark brown eyes, and an infectious smile.  She has gorgeous thick dark brown hair which is always in tangles and pulled back in a pony tail, because she refuses to waste any time fixing it.  She never worries about what to wear and only ever grabs the shorts and t-shirt at the top of the stack.  Watching her grow and develop physically, emotionally, and spiritually has been a blessed journey!  Another year rolls by and I can't wait to see what God has planned for her future.

This year there was no hesitation in the selection of her theme.  She was set on a Frozen birthday.  That was a relief for me, since I knew I could purchase most of the decorations, rather than make them.  One exception is the invitations.  Every year I've made Brenna's birthday invitations.  As she got older, she enjoyed picking out her background.  This year was no different.  After lots of looking, this was what she picked and I added the details.

Brenna's 6th Birthday

I can't believe how quickly the years are going by!  One delay in this post was because of some necessary maintenance that forced me to work on some early posts from the beginnings of this blog.  Knowing that I had this posting waiting in the wings, I've been looking through the pictures and videos of when she was two and wondering where did that kid go?  How did she get so tall and independent?  Has that much time gone by that she's really changed that much?

At 6 years old Brenna is a beautiful and smart little girl!  Her personality has blossomed over the past year! She's loving and compassionate with her friends.  She still gets excited about even the smallest things and she loves to laugh.  She's very engineering and enjoys building anything.  She has an ability to take random items from the around the house and use them to create something new!  She stays active in every sense of the word, since still and quite time is not on her to-do list.  She loves playing with her friends and since we have so many that are so close we spend alot of time in the street, just having fun.  When she's on her own she likes to put on different shows that include dancing, jump roping, skip hops, and the ribbon dancing.  She loves music and frequently makes up her own songs.  She's become very independent and wants to manage all the small stuff on her own, like making her own sandwiches, washing her own hair, and getting her own snacks and water.  She's such a gorgeous girl inside and out and she's the biggest blessing God has given me and Jacob.

This year Brenna has a love for all things My Little Pony and it was easily chosen as her party theme.  At her request, we had her party at a bouncy house called Monkey Joe's.  The kids loved the bounce stations and a herd of girls with a sprinkle of boys ran from bouncer to bouncer with Brenna in the lead laughing all the way.  After a lengthy play time the kids headed into the party room for pizza and presents.  Brenna was one happy little girl with all her friends there to share in her birthday celebration!  Here's some pictures from her big day!

Brenna's 5th Birthday

I can't believe my little girl is 5 years old and about to start Kindergarten.  I'm so proud of the little girl she's becoming!  She's happy and sweet and smart.  Now it seems like she keeps me in line as much as I keep her in line.

Her actually birthday was on a Tuesday but we celebrated all week long!  On the Monday she was excited to see Mawmaw come visit with my Aunt Shirley, Aunt Juan, and Uncle Sal.  Brenna played cards with Aunt Juan for most of afternoon.  Aunt Juan kept asking her if she was cheating, to which Brenna quickly replied "No!"  But, she picked up on the thought and then started asking Aunt Juan "Are you cheating me?"

On Tuesday, she started off the morning opening a few gifts.  She had ice cream for lunch and played all day with Mawmaw.  We celebrated that night with a cupcake cake and more gifts.

Brenna's 4th Birthday

Oh my!  Where to begin?  Brenna turned 4!  I can't believe how quickly the years have gone by.  I still haven't come to grips with the fact that she'll be starting preschool next month.  There's so many things I love about this age.  She's beautiful, (she's always been beautiful, but now she's beautiful with more hair), smart, active, rambunctious, spunky, and lives in a pretend world for most of her day.  I love her imagination right now.  Throughout the day we solve mysteries, hunt dinosaurs, swing on vines through the jungle, and sail on a pirate ship.  She absorbs everything that she sees and hears and processes it in that brilliant little mind of hers.  She's our gift from God and a very special little girl.

Like every birthday party before this, the planning started months before with a simple question.  "What do you want your birthday party theme to be this year?"  and the answer, "Rainbows!"

Sounded simple enough.  You'd think with something as common as rainbows there would be rainbow party decorations everywhere.  Oh, was I wrong.  After hitting all the major chain party suppliers and coming up with naughta, I regrouped and started visiting the more boutique party shops.  After no luck, I finally asked one of the store owners why there weren't any rainbow party decorations!  Her response was surprising.  Apparently, shortly after the gay pride movement and the rainbow was selected as the official logo for that movement, the children's party supply manufactures began to back away from rainbows as a kids party theme.  So unless it had a unicorn, Rainbow Bright (remember her?), or a Care Bear on it, there were no rainbow party supplies to be found.

So, equipped with my Parents Magazine article on Do-it-Yourself Birthday Parties, I hit the Internet in search of homemade rainbow party decorations.  At this point I'd just like to say that if you may have that particular magazine, THROW IT AWAY!  If you've read the article, FORGET IT!  It's not worth it ladies!  You all know I'm the queen of bargain shopping and love to find a nice cheap alternative, but don't do it!  Not for this.  Spend your $35 at Party City with confidence knowing that its the most effective and sanity-saving way to spend your time.  I won't go into the details of the hours of printing, cutting, gluing, pasting, and taping it took to put together one simple party tablescape.  Just heed my warning and learn from my mistake.  It will save you a whole lot of headaches and numb fingers.

On a more positive note, I wouldn't have done this particular party any other way.  Brenna wanted Rainbows and this was the only way she was gonna get them.  Also, she had a great time "helping" make all the decorations with me, so it really led to her enthusiasm about the party.  This year we had it at an indoor playground.  Texas in July is no place for a backyard birthday (without water) and 12 kids and their energy level can no longer be contained in my very breakable house.  This worked out great.  The kids had a fantastic time and the adults got the sit back and chat without worrying about the kids bouncing off the padding floor and walls.

Here's some shots from the day.  Thanks so much to everyone for a wonderful birthday!

Brenna's 3rd Birthday Party!

Brenna's 3rd Birthday Party was a huge success. She had a fantastic time with all her friends. We celebrated with a Sesame Street theme this year and we went Sesame all the way! From the decorations, to the food, to the crafts and games, to wrappings, even Brenna's birthday outfit included Elmo and friends. We started off the morning with a few gifts. She had been patiently waiting since Friday when she found all the wrapped presents in the upstairs bedroom.