Happy Birthday Gracie!

Today our Gracie turned FIVE!

And here she is on her birthday "throne" at her party this afternoon!

Five years ago, Amanda Grace (named after my sister, of course), arrived after a very long day weighing 6 pounds, 7 ounces... and completely adorable, if I do say so myself.

The week before she was born, a friend of ours who had a daughter that had just been married at the time, told us that now we would finally understand what all the "fuss" was about when people say "time flies". He was right.


Gracie attended a party at a "jumpin place" as she called them, just before she was 3, and has wanted a birthday party there ever since. So, since this was a milestone, as they call it, we celebrated in fine fashion at the "Jump Zone" with lots of jumping, sliding, friends, family, cake, and pizza! So here's the birthday girl enjoying the inflatables!



Tessa had fun at the party too... as usual, she was much too busy to pose for family pictures (practically any pictures really). As far as she was concerned, it was her birthday too.

Tanner sat on the sidelines with Nana and Papa at the party, and slept through the cake and ice cream... but here's a picture of him from yesterday. He's sitting up all by himself now!



Here's Gracie with her namesake, and the best aunt ever! Aunt Mandy took Gracie to a movie Friday, and they paid a visit to what Gracie calls "the wand store" (a/k/a Claires) in the mall for a new necklace and a wand or two.

And the party was even complete with a few friends for me too!

So good times were had by all, and Gracie's birthday wish was that it would be her birthday again tomorrow so we could all go back to the Jump Zone!

On the way home Gracie was telling us how much fun she had, and asking us what our favorite part of the Jump Zone party was, and could we believe that she was already five years old... and the truth is no, I can't believe it! And while I know that watching her grow up will be such a gift, part of my heart would certainly love to keep her just the way she is.