Happy Birthday, Clara!

You're 11 now -- a lovely palendromic number to go with your amazing self!

I've been a bit of a slacker on the photos this year, so hopefully this pre-birthday gift giving photo will do for now. : )

You've started middle school and are settling in to new routines and new independence. Over the past year you finished your first year on the gymnastics team, working hard to develop those skills.

Here's wishing you another great turn around the sun with tons of love!

Molly Friend Celebration

Molly invited a gaggle of girls to go to Playland-not-at-the-Beach for her birthday celebration. Again, she made her own cake. Playland is a funky collection of old-timey carnival games, plus a really corny magic show. They had a great time. 

Molly Family Birthday celebration

Here are pictures from her family celebration. Dodger hat from daddy; sparkly journal from the LA Franklins (soooo mesmerizing!); cake (she baked it herself - Dodger colors!); Mickey Mouse ears from Nana & Pa; candles; light-up sign from the Albany Franklins; and sisters (with Lulu). 

Happy Belated Birthday, Molly!

Going through pictures, I realized I never posted for Molly's birthday! I guess it's just been one of those years. Molly did have a birthday, and we did thoroughly celebrate her birthday. She's now officially a teenager. And she's a pretty awesome teenager! Yes, I'm biased. But I'm supposed to be.

More Happy Birthday Clara

More pictures found! I think this is the last set of "missing" pictures. Huge thank you to Zach for figuring out how to recover these. : ) 

These are from the evening of Clara's birthday. Molly and I snuck out to the store and bought her a cake. Yum!

Rock N Jump again

found another picture from Clara's birthday trip to Rock N Jump. Couldn't let this one pass:

American Girl

American Girl Doll has arrived - a very generous gift from Nana and Pa for Clara's birthday. She's thrilled - thank you!

Pictures Found!

Zach was able to resuscitate some of the lost pictures from the birthday weekend. Here's the pictures from the Hoes Down Festival, including the slightly bonkers idea we had to hold a mini-surprise celebration with ice cream sandwiches (?!!) on a hot day.

The first two pictures are from the morning when we were volunteering at the event, staffing an obstacle course that included "milking" a "cow". The kid in the hat is our friend Emma, who shares a birthdate with Clara (just a year later).

And here are pictures from Rockin'Jump, a trampoline park on the drive home from the festival.