Happy Birthday Lenna

Happy Birthday to my Lady Bug!

Lenna had a birthday a few weeks ago. I neglected to write about it then, but knew I better at least get it in the right month! Here are some highlights from the day she turned a great big 7!

She had her special birthday outfit picked out the day before- all pink of course!
Lenna helped me decorate some cupcakes to take to school. It was pouring rain that morning but no cupcakes were damaged or soggy thanks to Mike's careful delivery.

After school she had her favorite dinner- chicken nuggets and mashed potatoes. We have been having that on her birthday for three years running. We passed the time by going around the table and saying all the things we love about her. I enjoyed watching her face light up, then turn pink with embarrassment, with each thing shared.

I made her a Hannah Montana cake (well, frosted it, Mike's mom baked it) and then she was spoiled with presents.

She got, among other things, Hannah M PJ's and a CD. Andrew picked out this microphone to share, er give, to her. She was able to give a concert before bed.

I was so proud of her for understanding when we were unable to throw a big party with her friends or take her to a restaurant or to the Build-a-Bear like she had hoped, due to the recent upheaval in our household that week. (Don't know what I am talking about? You don't deserve to read any further. Click out now!)

So here are 7 things that make Lenna great!

1. She is a very loving big sister. She is great with both her little brother and her little sister and loves to take care of them and help them.

2. She is very compassionate. Yesterday she asked if she could please serve Andy's time out for him (he was confined to a chair for hitting her)because she couldn't stand to see him so sad.

3. She is a very hard worker. She tries her hardest at everything she does, from learning to do a cartwheel at gymnastics, to teaching herself a song so she can spell "quarter" and "whisper" for her spelling test.

4. She loves to learn new things. She is always asking questions and reading books and trying to find things out, from where babies come from to the water cycle, anything is fair game!

5. She is enthusiastic about life. She loves to jump right in to everything she does. Everyday can be an exciting new adventure. She is teaching me to have more fun and enjoy things.

6. She wants to make good choices. Her spirit is very strong and she has a very strong sense of what is right and what is not, and is true to her feelings when she makes her choices. I am proud of her integrity, even if it means she has a tantrum when I try to park in the expectant mother spot when I am not expecting.

7. She has so much love to share with everyone else, it is impossible not to love her back. She loves her family, her huge extended family (if her attention span was longer you would all receive a letter every week telling you so), her friends, her teachers, her cat, the birds outside, the clouds in the sky, strangers who need through toys for tots or her school's angel program. I love that I am the recipient of such love daily, even if her best snuggles come at 6 in the morning.

Happy 7th Birthday, Lenna!

Nope, no baby pictures. Those were before we went digital, and I am not scanning photos at 1AM, I must draw the line somewhere!