Happy 7th Birthday Gracie!

I wish I could stop my kids from getting older!  I want them to stay little!  But each year Gracie insists that we let her get older!  This year Gracie really wanted a dog "Pillow Pet" and an iPod.  So she got that and some summer clothes.  We celebrated with just our family this year, which in my opinion was wonderful!  Gracie wanted to go out to eat at Famous Dave's so that's what we did.  She also wanted to sleep outside in the tent.  Phil and I didn't think the kids would make it through the night out there all by themselves, but they did!  It took them a while to fall asleep though.  Gracie kept coming in and complaining that the ground was too hard and hurting her back.  So we put some more blankets under her and eventually she fell asleep.  It was funny because Oscar went out to lay with them and wouldn't come in.  So he slept in the tent with them all night!  It was pretty cool outside too in the high 40's - low 50's.  Then of course we had double chocolate cake and cookies and cream ice cream.  I continue to be truly amazed out how much Gracie grows and learns with each year.  This year was huge for her because she learned how to add and subtract large amounts.  She learned how to tell time, how to count money, and most of all she became a reading maniac.  She flies through chapter books like it's nothing!  She's continually asking us to get her harder books to read.  We love this girl!