We have a 9 year old!

Paigey turned 9 this week!!  We can hardly believe that she is getting so old and so grown up!!  Paige is so loving and thoughtful of others!  She is always willing to help someone else if there is a need, and even puts her wants aside to make others comfortable.  She is an amazing example to us all!  This showed in the response to her birthday at school and friends that brought her presents even though they were not invited to a party!  One of her friends, (after I had made a comment about her having special friends) said , "No, Paige is the special one.  She has always been the special one!" 

Everyone at school knows her name and gives her hugs, even if she doesn't know who they are!  She is truely a special girl! 

Paige got her first pet this year.  She asked for a leopord gecko, and crazy mom thought it would be fun, so we adopted Gerry into our family. (named after the late Larry the leopord gecko of Blake's)  She was so excited she was almost in tears, and has taken such good care of him, he's almost doubled in size already! 

Gerry is still pretty jumpy, and one day he jumped out of Paige's hand.  She is so sweet, that when it was all over, she was feeling bad because she got mad and looked at Gerry with a mad face. 

This is how big he is...on Blake's hand.

Paige wanted a "Squinkie" party.  Squinkies are little tiny rubber critters that come in little balls like you get out of a gumball machine.  So there are Squinkies on the cupcakes.

It was a swim party this year, and yes it was warm enough to swim!  And then we came back to the house for a few games and a treasure hunt.

Paige's good friend Sydney, from Nampa sent us a "Flat Sydney" to take on adventures and daily activities,

and it was fun to have Sydney at the party! 

We made these cute flower clips for the goody bags!  Mom was proud of this new found simple craft!!

 Blake was a good big brother and took Paige out to play basketball with her new pink and purple ball and pink basketball shorts.

You know it's been a long day when your choice of a place to rest and play a game is on the sidewalk!!

Paige is truely a special part of our family and we wouldn't be complete without her!  Love you Paige!