Celebrating {Nine} Years

I love celebrating the kids' birthdays...they are going faster each year!  This year was no exception...it's amazing what a difference a year makes!  Emily may be small...but she has really blossomed into a young, mature little lady!  She is smart, thoughtful, loves to read, loves school and being with her friends, shopping, fixing her hair, painting her nails and wearing dangly earrings and sometimes a little makeup...but I love still being able to witness the "little girl" in her too...she loves playing with her dolls, and Barbies, playing with Ellie, and she still giggles at cartoons and she will snuggle up to Dan and I with all her favorite stuffed animals and blankies...

I also love that they get excited about waking up 'surprised' to the birthday decorations and getting to open a gift first thing to start their day!

Emily was pretty good at guessing what her first two gifts might be, "A skating dress and new skates..."

...and she was pretty close!  A new skating jacket {to match the pants she already has}...

...and new figure skates!

Emily was off to a great birthday morning...but then it was off to school for the first round of ISTEP testing...boo!  But she was excited to take chocolate chip cookies to her classmates for her birthday treat and she was eager to wear her new jacket to ice-skating practice after school!  {the skates were just a bit too snug...so a new pair was ordered, and will hopefully fit!}

We enjoyed our traditional birthday pizza for dinner followed by the most anticipated part of the whole day...opening presents!

New satin pjs and a pair to match her doll {Ruthie} 
Unfortunately, they were too big, so they too are headed back and a new pair is on the way!

...will the Kidz Bop era ever end...
Emily loves listening to her cd at bedtime

She will have a lot of reading to do! 
She has only just started the second book of Harry Potter...but she loves to read!

Legos are so fun!  She will have this together in no time!

Emily was thrilled that her gift from Grandma and Grandpa arrived in the mail on her birthday!

 

...just what she wanted...new slippers and pjs...

...she loves her pajamas!  Thank you Grandma and Grandpa!

 

She saved the best for last...she had already guessed what it was too...

 

...the new American Girl doll of the Year...Saige

 Emily loves, loves playing with her dolls...and even though she has a million of them...she enjoys them so much...and I know two little sisters who will hopefully enjoy all of them just as much as Emily does!

 

Look how excited Ellie is to get her hands on it already!  ha!  My attempt at getting a picture of the three of them!

Or maybe she was too excited to sing Happy Birthday and eat a piece of yummy cake!
Emily chose a cookie dough ice-cream cake from Cold Stone Creamery...and it was yummmy!

making a wish!

waiting for a piece of delicious birthday cake!

So good!

It was a great birthday...and another fun treat was for Emily to see her picture in the local paper today with the skate club and the first place trophy from her last competition!

 

...and she even had a sweet surprise for Dan and I...

...Emily made us a special card before bed showing us how much she appreciates what she has...we couldn't be more thankful for her and her gracious heart!

 

Dan and I were also very grateful to be able to spend quality time with the birthday girl over the weekend doing just what she loves with each of us...

 

She spent a special day skiing...just her and Daddy...

She is becoming a great skier {as is Dan and Alex...I have a lot of catching up to do!}

 

And she and Mommy had a fun day shopping, after a fun lunch with Grandma and Grandpa!

 

...and just like that...another birthday in the books...  ...sigh...

Happy 9th Birthday Emily!  We love you more and more every day...every year!