Nine!

Maren was very undecided about what it was she wanted for her 9th Birthday.  We had done a big shebang the year before for her 8th and for the in between year I told her she could invite a friend to do some thing of her choice with.  She couldn't decided who or what or when...but kept coming back to doing something with a cousin.  So we one upped her, and took another quick trip to Salt Lake to spend another birthday at grandma's pool with LOTS of cousins.  ( It was the perfect match as Dave ended up with the weekend off and was able to join us this time.)

We had pizza at her request and a very last minute cookie cake that the kids decorated, super win win for me.  Seeing as I almost forgot that a birthday needs a cake of some sort..right?

And I was really lame and took virtually no pictures of the whole weekend, but thanks to Dave we have a few of the cookie cake!  The kids also got to sleep in a pop up trailer, which was the best birthday present ever Maren later told me...thanks Emily!

We also spent some time up American Fork canyon, until it rained out on us.  But even then we had fun playing at a park in Alpine which meant some tennis with my siblings...love it!  The kids had a blast getting wet on the splash pad and we all had fun playing games with the Merrils the next morning.   It was also great to be able to Nathan, my oldest nephew who just returned from his mission.   Thanks Maren for a great birthday so we could have a such a fun trip!

It is so hard to believe that she is NINE!  It is so weird to watch your kids grow up sometimes.  And she has grown leaps and bounds this year.   She has matured considerably and is full of ideas and thoughts that amaze me.  She has been reading the Harry Potter series with Dad and loves it!  Maren is proving to be a math wiz, and loves proving her skills in her head but not on paper.  She is still playing soccer but with a new coach and is learning about off sides this year, and was excited to explain it to her team at her last practice.  She has just started taking piano lessons and is not really liking the practicing so much.  But she tells me she can't wait until she can play a song from Beauty and the Beast, so she'll have to practice a while longer to get their I suppose.  The Beauty and the Beast love is from her school music class, which she loves, and we love hearing her sing it everyday after school.  Love this easy to love girl.  Can't wait to see where this next year takes her...