EIGHT

Isabelle just celebrated a pretty big-deal birthday!  Since she was turning 8, I decided that it was a year to throw a friend birthday party.  Isabelle was a little hesitant about the idea, being a little on the shy side, but she warmed up to it and was so glad that we did it!  The whole thing was really good for her - delivering announcements, playing hostess and introducing cousins to friends, etc. Isabelle made her own darling party invitations:

And a whole bunch of excited friends and siblings showed up for the event!  Below top l-r: Abby Anderson, our Maddie, Mariah Wilson, Ainsley Anderson, Telia Zollinger.  Bottom l-r: Cambria, Isabelle, Lora Zollinger, Sharly Widerburg, Abram and Nolan

The party centered around water: water obstacle courses, swimming, canoeing, etc.  We kept it simple because I'm not up to much, but it was a lot of fun! Breaking the pinata:

Shawn had to try out the slip-and slide:

I was glad that we did the party early on in the week, because Belle's real birthday ended up being on the same day as the Gee family reunion and we didn't get to celebrate it that day at all.

This weekend, my parents, Eli and Caden (who had been in Oregon for the previous two weeks) and Belle's cousin Anne arrived at our house, as did my brother Adam, wife Ori, and 4 kids, who also live in Oregon, just in time for Isabelle's baptism the next day!

Isabelle looked so excited in all of her pictures:

As we were getting ready to enter the chapel for the stake baptism to begin, David, Ali and Nicky -Shawn's brother and two girls showed up!  They had driven clear from Utah that morning just to be here for the baptism - making the day even more special for Isabelle.  We appreciated the family that came so much - even the ones that live around here!!

Isabelle was the last to be baptized out of 6 or 7 kids, and while we were waiting for the girl ahead of her, the high councilman in charge asked Isabelle if there was anyone that she would like to have bear their testimony.  She picked Kami and Kami did a great job.  After the baptism, her two grandmas were asked to bear their testimonies.  Isabelle has some pretty amazing grandmas.

After the baptism we had a luncheon at our house. I had been feeling pretty crummy the evening before and all that day-some sort of bug- so I couldn't eat anything and spent a lot of the time lying down on my bed:(  But I think everyone had a good time.

My parents have a tradition to buy all the eight -year- olds their own set of scriptures.  As they prepared to leave to take Isabelle shopping for her new set, they realized that there were some other grandchildren at the house that would turn 8 while they were on their mission, so they took them shopping for scriptures too!  They were all so excited about their new scriptures and scripture cases and later when we went looking for them (because it's always suspicious when a group of kids that big are quiet for that long) they were all up in Shawn's office having their own "scripture study".
Front left clockwise:  Isabelle, Nolan, Westley, Caleb and Anne:

The kids spent A LOT of time canoeing, so we sat out on the porch to keep a better eye on things. l-r: Adam, Maddie, Ori, Lydia, Shawn, Me, Mom, Eli and dad

I spent the afternoon practicing on some fun crocheting projects that I signed up to teach a Laurel in our ward.  Later I saw this picture of myself and gasped at how big I look!  Eli said, "Here, let me see if it's really true to life.  He looked and then said, "Yep- it is!"  So there you go, people:)

My brother Adam.  I think he may have one of the 'favorite uncle' statuses around here.  He loves kids and gives them attention and teases them incessantly.  For a day it looked like they wouldn't be able to make it and Nolan was really upset about it and was praying his heart out that they could really come.  When we heard they were on their way Nolan breathed a huge sigh of relief and said, "my prayers have been answered!!"

Cute girls: Anne and Isabelle at the Sand Dunes Saturday evening:

Sunday morning - Anne ended up staying for a few days because Kami was going to be going home with mom and dad and Maddie wanted to go, too.  Meanwhile, Isabelle and Anne had not gotten enough of each other:)