Birthday Dinner-Maddie's 10th!

Maddie's Birthday- June 30, 2008

Every year, the children get to choose where they want to go eat for their birthday and every year, Maddie chooses Bonsai Japanese Steak House. The kids love having their food prepared right there in front of them-all that fire and the chef tricks! And Maddie absolutely loves the steak and shrimp!

Maddie's 10th Birthday!

I can't believe it, but Maddie is 10 years old today! I can remember, as if it were yesterday, the day she was born...and it truly does seem like yesterday! Ten creeps up on you fast. But my oh my how she has changed! She is becoming a young woman and teenager tendencies are rearing their ugly head, but what I love is the sweet innocence she still has.

These pictures really capture Maddie...she is so silly!

10 GREAT THINGS ABOUT MADDIE!

1. She is so silly! She is not a serious child...hardly ever. I am so happy about this. I see other children who are far too mature for their age, not age appropriate. In Maddie, I see a true 10 year old!

2. She loves to read. Once she starts a book, she can hardly put it down. At night, I have to go in and make her stop reading and turn her light out.

3. She is a good friend. Maddie is a loyal friend.

4. She loves yummy food...seriously, she'll try anything and usually likes it! And she LOVES to cook.

5. She is a very talented artist...probably one of her favorite things to do is draw. We have a wall in our house of her beautiful, framed artwork.

6. She is a beautiful pianist. Her piano teacher said "Maddie must have played the piano in Heaven."

7. She is always honest and expects others to be also. She is very surprised when she finds out someone was not honest.

8. She loves to learn new things...about anything and everything. She is interested in space, animals, science, how all kinds of things are made, cooking, history...you name it, she can tell you something about it! She is so smart!

9. She is passionate about almost everything...our Drama Queen! (I'm not sure if this is great or not, but it is true and is a driving force in Maddie's life)

10. She loves her family...she would rather be with us than with anyone. She loves to plan things to do with her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. I know this wont last, so I'm happy she's this way now.

"I Don't Feel 5-I feel weird"

Last night Will went to bed sooooo excited. He must have left his bed 5 times before finally settling down and going to sleep-very unusual for him-he often asks to go to bed at night! He was as excited as if it were Christmas Eve! When he woke up (very early I might add), he came in our room and said "Am I 5 now? I don't feel 5-I feel weird." Bob checked his muscles and measured him from head to foot and told him he was a little stronger and a little taller so he must be 5. That did it for Will and he said, "well, I guess I am 5 then." And when I took Will to school he told me "I am so 5...I hate the number 4 now."

I spotlighted Will at school and he LOVED that-everything about HIM! His birthday party was right after school at Backyard Adventures (playground equipment inside-thank goodness because it was freezing outside) and he invited his school class and primary class. For William, it was the best day ever. For me, it was chaos-there were twenty 4-5 year olds! I am glad I'm not the type of mom who throws a b-day party every year. This was Will's first b-day party with friends and his next one will be when he's 8-I think I'll let him invite 8 friends! And can I just say how funny these kids were: one little boy thought each child there should open up the present they brought Will (I'm thinking to myself, which one would Will open?, this same little boy INSISTED on having a certain peice of cake and when he didn't get it (because it was in the dead center of this giant cake), you'd have thought the world was at an end. And almost all the children wanted to take the toys out of the package and play with them right there. Oh, and the drama from some of the little girls...reminds me of another little girl I know that lives right here with me! I must say though, Maddie was a huge help with all those children, she organized games and showed them to the bathroom and was basically a little party planner...I've taught her well. :D

The theme for Will's party was BYU Cougars! (of course). I made cute invitations, my friend made an amazing cake and cookies for the treat bags.

yummy sugar cookies!

this cake was amazing!


friends...

I realized at the end of the song I was singing...YIKES! Just ignore that!

It was a memorable day...I'm glad we were able to give Will such a special birthday-one he will always remember. And I'm glad Grandma and Daddy were there to help.