Happy Birthday, Sweet Girl!

When I was 11, it was my golden birthday, so it was a big day.  Monumental!  I got a shiny Iowa jacket and a 10 speed bike.  It was the birthday of all birthdays!  And, it seems like yesterday.  So, how did I get here???  My sweet Allison is 11 today.  It just doesn't seem possible.  She was just curled up in my arms.  She was just singing "Bushel and a Peck" for the 9,000th time.  She was just asking her daddy to lay with her before she fell asleep (oh right, that happens every night still...)  These 11 years have just gone by much quicker than I have wanted, and I hate to think that we have even less time ahead of us until she is making her way in the world.  But, I have a lot of work to do before then.  There is more shaping, teaching, loving, and snuggling to be done before I can let her go.  So, here's a little look back at each of her special birthdays.

My sweet baby girl...here she is on the day of her birth.  That look on my face is that of amazement...could she really be all mine?!?!  I was so excited and terrified at the same time.  What a new world this would be.  I was immediately filled with worry for her.  All of a sudden the chaos in the world mattered because she was here.  The day we took her home, I walked her around the house (showing her around) and then sat on the couch and cried.  I got her there, and then I didn't know what to do with her.  This new feeling of "love that was so incredible you might burst" and "this child's life completely depends on me" was a little overwhelming. 

She was all chubby faced but sweet as can be.  She had the most beautiful heart-shaped lips, but I don't think you would ever know it was her now.  She changed so much in that first year.

The Big ONE!  Happy 1st Birthday!  It's hard to believe that just one month after this she had a little brother on the way.  Wow!  It took her about 18 months to get a decent amount of hair, but even then it was more of a mullet than anything.

Before I knew it, my sweet baby was an adorable little toddler who was full of personality!  Allison was crazy about Dora, so birthday #2 was all about Dora and Boots!

I miss her curly little head of hair!

Most three year olds would like Nemo on their cake, but this one was insistent about having Bruce the Shark!  She has always known what she has wanted in life.  

Happy 4th Birthday!  See that little smirk?  She was a hoot at this age!

This was the year of the watermelon swimsuit.  Chris still calls her "his little watermelon."

Happy 5th Birthday!  This was her first friend party, and it was all about princesses!

Happy 6th Birthday and the High School Musical obsession!  It's all we listened to and watched for at least a year.  With HSM 2 and 3, the fun just continued.   

Allison's 7th Birthday and Hannah Montana!  This was also the beginning of missing teeth.

It was a luau for Allison's 8th birthday!  This was my favorite cake and her favorite outfit! ;)

Peace signs were all the rage, so it was a groovy 9th birthday party!  Every article of clothing had some sort of peace sign on it!

And, this Harry Potter fan celebrated with an ice cream cake for her 10th birthday!  She changed so much from nine to ten.  This was the year she really started growing up too quickly.  And, she can finally see with her new glasses!

Little did she know that less than a month after this birthday, she would learn she was moving to Belgium.  Everything changed for her and at such a pivotal time in her life.  But, Allison has handled this transition with grace.  She has made so many new friends, but she also cherishes her friendships at home.  School has been challenging, and she has worked incredibly hard to be successful.  She continues to give piano and violin her all, and fills our home with beautiful music.

Chris and I are so proud of her, and we are incredibly blessed to call her our daughter.

Here are just a few of my favorites from over the years....

We love you so much, Allison.

Happy 11th Birthday!

Birthday pics will be up tomorrow!

Until next time,

Wendy