Birthday girl

What can I say about Kylee that I haven't already said? My heart is just filled with so many emotions as I reflect on my six year old's birthday.  

She's spunky, she's smart, she's a people-pleaser to the core. And Kylee will surprise you.  Maybe it'll be a quick response that you didn't anticipate, maybe you'll see her monkey her way to the top of the playground with ease, maybe it will be her beautiful smile, or maybe it will be her grown up way of speaking. But with Kylee, I've definitely come to expect the unexpected. 

I really wanted to make her birthday special. Six is a big deal! Especially since she'll be starting kindergarten in a few days. Weeks ago we started talking about what she'd like to do on her special day and she decided she wanted to go to Climb Iowa.  Shortly after she'd made her decision, she went to a friend's house who had "two Build-A-Bears and tons of other cool stuff" so I offered to take her to Build-A-Bear on her birthday, if she'd rather.  

"Nah.  I've already got lots of cool stuff.  Maybe I'll do that another year but this year I'd rather go climbing!" Perhaps we don't have many years left until she starts wanting things that all the other neighbor girls have, but my guess is that she'll never be that into material things.  And I love that about her.  

So after an early morning Starbucks run (materialistic, no; sweet tooth, yes), gift opening, and a visit to Aunt Tammy at the new high school, we went to Climb Iowa and this was the first time we've been that Kylee got all the way to the top! So cool to see her be successful.  

Kylee's reaction to her gifts was absolutely priceless.  The emotion and energy that she exudes is something about her that I adore about her.  I know that same emotion will probably cause some pretty good drama between her and I, come the teenage years, but for now I'm just loving it for all that it is.

I have never tasted a better chocolate chip cookie in my life.  Made with such love and shared with such pride.

Her dinner request was a simple one: grilled burgers, sweet corn, watermelon and macaroni.  I would have made her a cake, but she isn't too excited about frosting these days, so we rode bikes to Orange Leaf.  What a lovely way to finish our evening.

We are so blessed to have been able to celebrate with both sides of the family, and friends/neighbors too.  Here are a few miscellaneous pictures from all the birthday fun! (In no particular order.)

This one actually wasn't taken on her birthday.  But my mom took a few pictures of Kylee a month or so ago when we were over there and Kylee was playing dress up.  So sweet. 

Six is going to be GREAT!