Lily's 12th Birthday

 My firstborn is twelve!  That is nuts!  I remember being twelve, and it wasn't that long ago.  Young womens, girls camp, baptisms at the temple...  It's a great age!

My sweet Lily's birthday also happened to be the same day that our family reunion began with the Blads, and this year it was at Aspen Grove.  In the morning, we did a mini-celebration, then we packed and headed outta town the minute Steve got out of school.

 We made her a candybar card.

To our dear SweeTart Lily, Happy Birthday!  We remember when you were just a BabyRuth and we would kiss your little Butterfingers and listen to your Snickers!  Maybe we're Nerds, but here's 100 Grand because you're 12!  M&M (more and more) we LOVE you! We are your greatest FAN!

 We did her hair all special, and even added some bachelor buttons from our front yard.

 We got to Aspen Grove just in time to get settled in and meet everyone at the dining hall for dinner.

 Our cabin room was small and had 2 sets of bunkbeds which I hit my head on multiple times that it gave me a goose egg.  My dad hit his head on the light in his room, and Heather had a splitting headache because she kept hitting her head on the dang bed too.  That was the one complaint I wrote down on their evaluation forms.  And it was my only complaint because everything else seemed pretty great!

 I'll do a post on Aspen Grove later with more pics, but here's Lily's birthday dinner...

 After the evening activities Lily was showered with gifts from grandma and grandpa Lauret.  Oh!  And they also decorated our cabin with balloons and confetti and a birthday banner!

 She got everything she wanted- a rope, Oreos, Gap jeans and even a shirt!  She loved it all!

 We sang Happy Birthday in our room and she blew out a candle on an app that I downloaded.  There was no cake because I wasn't able to arrange anything with Aspen Grove, but the day was full and fun, and we were together to celebrate.  We sure are lucky to have Lily in our lives!

A few days later we were home for a short bit and the Young Women leaders came over to welcome Lily into Beehives.  They brought her a cool gift that held her personal progress book and other things.  She also got 2 balloons and a candy.

 Her leaders are wonderful.  I love them both and they are so very sweet.  Lily will love going to Young Womens!  Strangely enough, She still hasn't been able to attend YW in our ward because we've been out of town all summer.  We haven't been to our ward in 6 weeks.  We'll finally be there tomorrow, and it just so happens that Girl's Camp is this week.  Lily is so looking forward to it.  I'm excited for her and I think she's gonna love it.  Being 12 is so great!

Lily is growing up so very fast.  She now fits my shoes, keeps growing out of her clothes, and is mature in so many ways.  She's a huge help and blessing to our family.  She is so very smart.  She's definitely a faster reader than I am, and I think she may even be able to beat her dad, and that's saying something!  She's probably the fastest reader I know.  I remember when she was 4 and she asked me to teach her how to read.  I wasn't going to let that opportunity go, so I bought a book, and she was reading at a 2nd grade level before even entering kindergarten!

She has a natural nurturing personality which brings such peace to all those around her.  She is a natural at singing and playing the piano (her piano teacher is very impressed).  Did I forget to mention she is a really amazing writer as well?  She's got the awards and money to prove it!  She is very creative and I like seeing her perspective in all she creates.

She likes to sit in on conversations with adults and she also likes to go out and play with the younger kids.  She's easy-going and easy to get along with.  I love hearing her laugh and I love our conversations together.  I just love being with my daughter.  She's a true joy and I'm so glad I can home school her.

She loves Oreos, roller coasters, horses, reading, writing, blogging, family, friends, steak and potatoes, Smokey (our cat), swimming, and having fun.

When she gets her temple recommend, she wants to go to the Vernal temple (Aunty April made her promise she could be there), and then go out to eat at the Jade Lion.

She's also started a fund to take our family to the Rockin' R Ranch.  $100 is a good start.  I'm proud of her for saving her money.  She has a bank account and her own debit card now.  See?  I told you she's getting super grown up!