Marissa turned 9!

And I think she really enjoyed the day (5/8). I forgot balloons entirly and no one has said anything about it so I should be better about that or let it go. She helped make the pancakes for breakfast - smiley faces, hearts, snowflakes, first initials. I forgot to have her pick the ice cream, but luckily we had some in the freezer and no one was against having chocolate fudge swirl ice cream with pancakes for breakfast. Yummy. We went to the library after that and had a nice time at story time. Sister Berry, a woman from Church who has adopted my kids for her grandkids, met us there and surprised Marissa by taking her for a couple hours - lunch date and fun. It was a sunny day so the kids helped Dad stack some split wood, and then played outside. We enjoyed a yummy dinner with homemade rolls that were almost as good as my mom's rolls. Grandma and Grandpa Nichols came over with the cake and a present. We enjoyed time with them and even talked about some places to go camping in the U.P. (Upper Pennisula of Michigan)

Marissa received some nice gifts: a 5 game set from G. and G. Nichols (badmitten and others), two Nancy Drew books from Memere, fabric and accessories to make a skirt with me, paintbrushes to paint her doll house that we still need to build, a pad of construction paper (she asked for that so she could use it however she wants to), and two shirts to go with the skirt we are going to make. She also got some money and cards from the Nichols and Sister Rodriguez (the other woman at Church who has taken such a liking to my kids and does several treat things for them throughout the year). She's 9 now. The last year of the single digits.