Aliya's Ice Skating Party

Sometimes having a winter birthday can be a challenge...I know first hand! Forget park or pool parties--it's all pretty miserable in the freezing weather. So what to do? Well, Aliya had the perfect idea for her 9 year old birthday party... ICE SKATING! And not just any ordinary ice skating rink in Bricktown, but the outdoor kind that ONLY is opened at this time of year. It was a perfect idea for a birthday party!

 I was the only one who did not skate...and it was rather chilly sitting on the sidelines. As the evening went on, one by one the coats were taken off as the skaters "warmed up" from skating. The only ones who didn't warm up were those who couldn't skate faster than the wall! Niah also met up with a friend from volleyball.  That was a nice surprise for her!

After almost 2 hours of FUN, FUN, FUN, we walked next door to the Myriad Gardens. The Gardens were opened to the public for a special night, and they were also offering FREE HOT CHOCOLATE. What a way to get warmed up! Before long, we were getting too toasty, so back outside it was for a trip to the Bricktown water canals.

The canal ride was once again very chilly, but wonderful at the same time.  Downtown Bricktown is beautiful this time of year with all the sparkling lights and decorations.  We sang 'Happy Birthday' to Aliya as the canal trolled along.  Was she embarrassed?  Of course, but at the same time, she loved it!

The wonderful, fun-packed night ended with a tour through the Chesapeake campus, which is known for it's spectacular Christmas lighting presentations.  This will be a birthday to remember! We hope your birthday was as special to you as you are to us!  Happy Birthday, Aliya!  WE LOVE YOU!!!

Ballet Recital

Ballet recital...the day finally arrived. All the hard work of the past several weeks was showcased today, on stage, in front of EVERYONE! Were the girls nervous? Not at all! In fact, one of Aliya's greatest strengths is the courage to not be afraid when in front of a group of people. For Kiahna, this was her ballerina dream come true--every book about ballerinas that we have read up to this point were all playing out in her mind. She asked me last week if she was supposed to take a bow before or after she picked up the roses. A little presumptuous, perhaps? Up until this point I had not even considered such a thing, but unknown to me, she had been dreaming about that exact scenario in her mind.

At the VERY LAST MINUTE, I was able to make arrangements with the other moms so that we could collectively participate in the rose-throwing at the end of the performance. All the effort payed off because it turned out beautifully, and according to Ms. Olivia (the ballet instructor), this was the first time roses had ever been thrown on stage at a recital. Leave it up to Kiahna to dream big!

I was so proud of the girls. They did a great job. Aliya knew right where to go and she remembered all the steps. When she had first started practicing months ago, she wasn't sure if she really wanted to do this. Now, she has discovered how much she actually loves it!  Kiahna has always loved anything ballet, and she proved today that she was made for the stage! 

A big THANK YOU to all the family and friends who traveled out to see their performance. I know it made the recital EXTRA special for the girls to have the people that they love share this experience with them.

Aliya's 9th Birthday

Aliya's birthday is today...and she turned 9!!! Hard to believe that my cutie baby girl is entering the final year of the single digit club. Nine years ago today, a record-breaking cold snap and freezing storm cut off the electricity for a few hours at the hospital. None of those things even phased us, because we held an adorable baby girl in our arms--she warmed up our hearts and lit up the room! Even to this day, she still warms up our hearts and lights up rooms when she walks in!

The special day began with a shopping spree for a complete new birthday outfit, which she is modeling in the above picture!   We then went to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner (Aliya's choice) where Aliya was surprised with many things.  She received some wonderful gifts from her brother and sisters, and she also unwrapped her very own REAL underwater camera...but the most surprising to her was when the wait-staff brought her birthday cake with a candle and sang "Happy Birthday" to her.  She truly was not expecting such a performance because we had not mentioned to our waiter that it was her birthday--or so she thought!!!

What to do with a brand new camera?!!!  Why, take pictures of your special cake, of course!!!  For the remainder of the meal, Aliya was snapping pictures of EVERYTHING from the ceiling to the light fixtures.

Even though we had dessert at the Cheesecake Factory, we still had to come home and enjoy her birthday cake that she had picked out yesterday.  The day was long and fun.  I'm so thankful to have been able to spend these past 9 years with my baby girl.  I pray for an eternity more!  Happy Birthday, Aliya!  WE LOVE YOU!!!