Happy Birthday, Kami!!

 Today Kami turned FOURTEEN!!  Fourteen?!  Wow.  I can't believe that it's been that long since she was a new baby and we were trying our hand at being parents for the first time.  Kami has always had a laid-back, cheerful disposition - the perfect personality for all of our parenting experiments and parenting learning experiences. She's very accepting of everything we do, is forgiving, grateful, and always a lot of fun and a patient entertainer to all of her siblings.

opening gifts

All of the girls (plus Abram) salivating over a box of nail polish that she got.

 As usual, at our house, her birthday celebration started the evening BEFORE her birthday with Shawn and I blowing up a bag-full of balloons which we then scattered all over her bedroom while she was sleeping. Then, at lunch time, Shawn and I pulled her out of school and took her to Applebee's. (Her choice.)  Grandma Gee came and sat with the little boys, so it was a really great time being able to talk and relax and enjoy lunch together.

Grandpa and Grandma Gee, Kami and her Great Grandma Shirley -when they came over to bring her a gift

At school, her friends had her locker all decoriously decorated by the time she arrived, but she didn't seem too excited about getting a picture of it for me so that  I could see it:(

Some of our favorite things about Kami are:
1. Did I mention that Kami is fun to be around?
2. She is so sweet.  Yes, she has a bad day here and there, but her bad days are like my in-between days.
3. She's a good friend.  To her school friends, her siblings and to Shawn and I.
4. She gets a kick out of her little brothers and sisters.
5. She seems to have a talent for everything that she tries/does.  I always wonder how that would be?  I recently took some pictures of some of her artwork:

Which one do you think is prettier?:) She loves to draw in her spare time. She is also a good athlete and musician.
6. She's obedient, tries to do what's right and has a testimony.  She has already read the Book of Mormon five times (not counting the readings with the family.)
7. She has a lot of friends, but if someone asks, she tells them that her best friend is Caden.  They really are very close. If I want to know a good idea for a present for Kami, I ask Caden and vice versa.  They may not tell me what they want, but they seem to tell each other everything.
8.She's always challenging herself to do a little better at something and to work a little harder.
9. She's really good at having a positive out-look on everything, and building people up.
10. She has great, creative ideas!!

We love you, Kami! Happy birthday!!