Happy 9th Birthday, Bennett!

I vividly remember writing a long post for Bennett's first birthday.  And then I remember collecting pictures for weeks before her 2nd birthday because I could not believe my baby girl was 2 and I didn't know I could capture all of her first two years into one blog post. Fast forward 7 years and now she is 9 and I have no idea how we got here.

But I have to say that I LOVE being the mother of a nine year old. Nine is adventurous, fun and spunky. Nine is still little enough to need you to tuck them in at night but old enough to read for an hour after you leave their room. Nine is spending all day with friends riding bikes but then still curling up in your lap at night while you stroke their hair. Nine is constantly wanting you to watch them on the trampoline, watch their handstand and listen to their singing. Nine wants to make their own snacks and wants to help you make dinner.

Nine is the perfect balance of independence and still needing you and I miss my baby girl but I absolutely adore my big kid on the brink of being a pre-teen. Happy 9th Birthday, Bennett. You continue to delight me more and more every day and I still love you to the moon and back.

 

Good morning, birthday girl!!!

She didn't request anything special, but I made her a French breakfast with croissants, macaroons and chocolate covered strawberries. Her favorite.

 

B's birthday fell on a Sunday this year and I had to work all morning and she had to be at the church so after church we brought her two best friends home with us.

 

We took the girls out to Olive Garden and little siblings were begrudgingly allowed to join us.

Once we were back at the house we had a fun scavenger hunt for the kids.

Still running around looking for clues.

The finally found the hidden treasures!

 

We had to go back up to the church at 3 to practice for our Spring musical, but we took a break halfway through so the cast could share in an ice cream cake and sin Happy Birthday to Bennett!

 

Happy Birthday, Bennett!!

 

After church we were finally together as a family of five for the first time all day. We took Bennett to Kendra Scott so she could pick out her birthday present, her birthstone necklace.

 

And then we had dinner at her favorite little café that served crepes. 

 

We finally got home and it was time for presents! That sweet girl waited all day without complaint.

 

Piano books for the win. Is she my clone or what?

 

Her BIG present was tickets to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios. She had no idea and was ecstatic. Then our wonderful neighbors came down and surprised her with the shirts they had made for our trip.

Then they stuck around for a late night game of pie face.

I haven't heard her laugh this hard in a long time!

 

Good night, my beautiful 9 year old girl. Celebrating you and the day of your birth is one of my greatest honors as your Mom.