Happy 6th Birthday, Linnaea

Happy Birthday, Linnaea!!!! It's hard to believe that it has been 6 years of joy with our sweet "Nay Nay" girl. She is having a wonderful time spending her day as she planned it out weeks ago. Instead of big gifts this year, she decided that being able to pick fun things to do with the family all day would be much more fun. She went swimming in the morning with Garratt and Shaeanne and Granny. Then I picked the older 3 kiddos up at the pool and left Weston to swim with Granny (which he seemed to enjoy) and we went to Kenai to meet Daddy for lunch at McDonalds. Then, she wanted to try out a new park, so we played there for a while, went to the video store to get a Mary-Kate and Ashley movie and home for a game of Monopoly! She quickly got tired of it, but Garratt and I "battled it out" until it was time to get things ready for supper (we'll call it a "tie game"). We had her choice for supper ("Monster Yummies" --cheesy hashbrowns Hamburger Helper) and are now getting ready to eat butterfly/ladybug birthday cake. There'll be just enough time afterwards for our movie before Daddy has a special treat of sleeping out on the trampoline planned for overnight.

Of course, now Garratt and Shaeanne are thinking that all the "stuff" doesn't really matter as much as getting to spend a whole day picking activities and ways to spend time with the family. Garratt and Shaeanne each picked one of there own toys to wrap up and give to her (the pink CD player from Shaeanne and the camo binoculars from Garratt) and she got really nice cards in the mail and gifts from Mommy & Daddy and Granny & Poppy. So, a much less stressful time for the family and not as much "overload" from the typical Birthday Blues. It's been a GREAT day -- and hopefully the beginning of a new tradition!!!

We have been so very blessed and are thankful to God for the simple joys of a child's smile and the appreciation of a thankful child! Thank you, Nay Nay for the blessing you are to us!