Annie Turns FIVE!!!

I cannot believe I am writing this post - my baby turned FIVE and I do not know where the time has gone.  It seems like just yesterday she was an bitty baby, the best napper in the world, and had no opinions of her own! :) (ok, this last one is sentimental for different reasons!)  Her birthday fell on a Friday, so we celebrated with her preschool class (home-made chocolate chip cookies was the request), and then Friday night at her annual dinner spot - Chili's.  Jack got Annie a radio alarm clock (very specific request for a girl getting ready to start school) and Mommy & Daddy got her a small strand of pearls. She was very excited, and actually seems to understand that the pearls are not part of her dress-up box. 

Annie and her best friend, Courtlyn, are only five days apart, in the same preschool class, and same dance class, so we decided it would be good to have a joint birthday party and invite everyone.  Guess what? EVERYONE came (along with their siblings, both parents, etc.)! . . .  So we rented out the entire bowling alley at the IU Union, set up a craft for each kid, had cake and juice, and opened what seemed like a million gifts.  To be perfectly honest, it was all quite overwhelming, but the girls had a great time, and I learned a valuable lesson about "bigger is not always better".  

My dear friend Kim made the beautiful cake - it tasted as good at it looked.  Completely amazing!  

And just to add more to my plate, I made the girls matching jumpers and bows.  They looked darling and it was fun for them to be twinkies - you know, more fodder for the proverbial wedding videos!

So, happy birthday my precious . . . now please stop growing, I can't be this old!

Thanks for checking in!

xo - jenni