She's NINE!

I keep singing my version of Hall and Oats-
"She's nine, oh why, oh why, I better learn how to face- she's nine!"

My sweetest angel girl turned NINE on Saturday.  We spent the whole day working in the yard and cleaning, and Sissy just played with her brothers.  Here they are playing hopscotch-

We let her pick where to eat for supper and she (as usual) picked Johnny Rockets.  :)

 After dinner we walked over to Toys R Us to spend the Easter card money Zaza and Grandpa and Memaw and Pawpaw had sent them all.  The boys all picked out toys, but Julia didn't.  She said, "I don't see anything I really need."  The boys on the other hand saw everything they needed.  Sissy is just not of this world.

We got home and had her little party.  We got her the strawberry cake from Ashley Mac's that she has always wanted.   They have it on a poster in the restaurant, and she would always say, "That cake looks amazing!"

Happy Birthday dear Sissybug!

She got a new horsey jewelry box (that she picked out in Tennessee)-

And NINE new hair ribbons-

And three new nightgowns that she desperately needed!

Sissy, at nine, you are still a sweety pie honey bunch.  You are very soft spoken- you almost whisper when you talk, which really stands out in this house of loud talkers.  You are so sweet to everybody.  You are always making little games or toys for the little boys.  Just yesterday you made them masks, which they loved!  Every day I hear, "Mommy- look what Julia made for us!"

You often put Charlie to bed at night at his request, "No, Mommy- let Sissy put me to bed!"  :) You are so good with the little boys, and you and Tucker are as close as can be-

You are of course a lover of all animals and just yesterday were walking around with a frog in your hands. And you love horses above all and are such a natural with them-

You were little for so long we used to say you would always be the "baby" of the family.  But things are changing.  You are truly growing up and growing into a little lady.   You are so smart, but you are so quiet and unassuming people don't realize how much you know.  You are like an encyclopedia when it comes to animals.  The other day Tucker asked, "which is the fastest bird?" and you said, "on land or in air?"  : )  I knew you would know and you did.

You have really taken off reading chapter books this year- you love Magic Tree House and horse books.   You've read many of the Great Illustrated Classics.   You still love to play with your dolls and dressing them.  You love arts and crafts and reading about artists.  Every morning I wake up and you are the first one awake and reading quietly- usually a Bible story or saint story.

You have no opinions about what you wear, which I hear is unusual for girls your age.  You just go with the flow and don't sweat the small stuff.  You don't like anything dark or scary- not even a little bit.  You are extremely sensitive to evil and won't watch any show with dark characters.

To say we are grateful for you is such an understatement.  Daddy and I (and even your brothers) adore you.  We can't believe God gave us such a sweet, innocent girl with such a pure heart.  We love you sweet angel!  Happy Birthday!

Tennessee Part 2

 On Monday morning everyone was healthy again.  We called the condo people and asked if we could add a night and it worked out so we stayed all day Monday.  We started out with a late breakfast at the Flapjacks Pancake House!

Then we drove out to the Great Smokey Mountain National park in Gatlinburg and hiked the Noah "Bud" Ogle trail and saw the Ogle family cabin, barn and mill.

It was a perfect place to hike with children- relatively flat with tons of boulders and tree roots to play on beside bubbling mountain streams.

They loved climbing to the top of this boulder-

We sat for a while by LeConte Creek.

We loved seeing how they built the hollowed-log flume to bring the water into the mill.  We were also able to show them what a millstone is.

After the hike Marky somehow talked us into going to Hollywood Stars Car Museum in Gatlinburg.  I REALLY didn't want to go, but was pleasently surprised at how awesome it truly was.  All of the cars are the ACTUAL cars used in T.V. and film- not replicas!  This truck was actually used in the Avengers-

We paid extra to let the children get in- it really blew my 10-year-olds mind to think he was in the ACTUAL car from one of his favorite movies.

They had the bat mobile from the show and Michael Keaton's bat mobile.  The Beverly Hillbilly's actual truck, the car from Days of Thunder, Smokey and the Bandit, the Andy Griffin show, the weather truck from Twister, the original Herbie, the real Back to the Future car- on and on it went.

This was actually the one in the Flinstone's movie-

 After the car museum we walked around Gatlinburg looking in shops and then had ice cream.

Then we went to the Old Mill section of Pigeon Forge and looked in the shops and had dinner at the Old Mill Restaurant, which is a lot like Lambert's.  Our table overlooked the Pigeon River and waterfall-

We played at Patriot Park for a bit after dinner-

And then headed back to the condo- here's the view!

And right beside the condo, which is on top of a hill, is this huge cross.  We went swimming Monday night and headed home Tuesday morning.  It was a great little trip- even with the sickness.  I am just happy to be back and ready for the Easter Triduum and the two older children's birthdays this week.

I hope you had a nice Maundy Thursday.  I just learned that Maundy comes from the Latin mandatum, the first word of the phrase "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos" ("A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you"),  These are the words Jesus said to the disciples as He washed their feet.  

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.