Happy Birthday, Avril!

Avril turned seven years old on Sunday, October 28. I can't belive it. This has been a hard round of birthdays for me. I suppose it's because it's the first time that we've had successive birthdays with no newborn to repeat all the earlier milestones. So I am having a hard time coming to terms with how quickly my girls are growing. Avril has matured a lot over the last year. She speaks with adult language, understands on a high level so that adults can hold normal types of conversations with her. Her face is clearly maturing and she just isn't a little girl anymore. She is solidly in the "girl" stage. Avril is a voracious reader and rejoices over a trip to the library. She is especially enjoying the Garfield comics right now. Our gifts to her were two Garfield compilation comic books, and a real Bible. She was thrilled and has been spending almost all of her free time reading.

We are so blessed to have Avril. She is still a challenge in that she is very moody and can really test your patience. It's astonishing how much she is like Adrian in her personality. She even has his ability to block out all sound when she is focused. She honestly doesn't hear you even though you may be inches away. It is a delight to think about what she may be like in the future. It will most definitely be here before I am ready.

Due to scheduling, Avril's party was slightly different this year. We had one school friend, Madi, come and spend the day with us. Avril and I had talked several weeks earlier about her cake. She wanted a beach cake that was decorated as a beach scene. Because it was so small, I let the girls decorate the cake themselves. So just after Madi arrived they got to decorating. It was so fun. The girls really enjoyed themselves. Most of the afternoon the girls just played together. Madi was so generous to bless Avril with a gift card to Barnes & Noble. She couldn't have picked a better gift. (In fact, Avril went to the bookstore yesterday and spent it on new treasures.) For dinner, Avril decided on Uno's Pizza. The girls ordered make-your-own-pizzas. Just as dinner was finishing, the waitstaff came out to sing Happy Birthday to a customer. My girls had never witnessed this before (as we rarely eat out in a sit-down restaurant with them). When our waitress came to bring the check Avril proudly announced that this was her birthday too. So the waitstaff surprised her with a song and freshly baked, (it was still hot, YUM!) huge chocolate chip cookie. What a wonderful evening. After dinner, we took Madi home. Avril thoroughly enjoyed her day and I'm sure is already formulating plans for next year.




































































































**Regarding the picures: 1. Avril and Madi getting the "ocean" frosting ready. 2. Putting on the ocean water. 3. Adding the "sand." 4. All finished. 5. Make a wish. 6. Enjoying the fruits of their labor. 7. At Uno's Pizza. 8. Making pizzas. 9. Mmm, pizza. 10. Is that embarrasment at being the center of attention???? 11. Sweet reward.