11 Year Old Girls!

Yesterday was Sally's birthday-11, I can't believe it! It was quite a day. We surprised her with a cell phone-she's wanted one more than life itself for a very long time-and told her it was a chance to show how responsible she could be. Her first call was to cousin Mickey (her other mother-only fitting since I'm Mickey's other mother! right?) Now, 36 hours later, so far so good! Mostly I'm worried she'll lose it and to date she hasn't taken very good care of electronic devices so we gave her my old phone for the time being. We'll get her a newer niftier one if she proves she can hang on to it. She just has such a care free attitude that she never worries much about anything. Hopefully this will improve her responsibility.

The real adventure of the day was taking her and 6 of her friends on a hike and picnic up the canyon! Brian knew of a hike starting along the road to Squaw Peak down to Bridal Veil Falls that was all downhill and by his accounting would only take half an hour. I just said, 'okay honey' and settled in to wait with pizza, soda and cup cakes at the bottom. They arrived hot and tired about an hour and ten minutes later but for the most part they had had a good time. However, I don't think Sally will let her dad plan the entertainment for her parties in the future! They ate up pizza and bread sticks ravenously and then walked to the base of the falls and played in the water at the bottom. They were just going to 'wade' but you know how that goes. It's slippery and before you know it they're wet to the neck! Oh well, they had a good time and wore themselves out. The really amazing thing was the group dynamics! What a sea of hormones on the verge of puberty! They are buddy buddy one minute and mortal enemies the next and back again before you can turn your head! They got along well for the most part but I had to check them a few times and remind Sally that she was the hostess of the party and that she needed to help ALL her guests have a nice time! I came home and promptly fell asleep!

We went to dinner (the fam) at Panda Express, Sally's favorite restaurant and then she had a friend over for the rest of the evening and Text Guy went off to a friends. I guess you can call that family night? Oh well, it's done and I'm sure by tomorrow Sally will be planning her next party. It's one of her favorite pastimes all year long.

Mostly the day made me grateful for her life and existence in our family. Her mood had swung to sad by bedtime and I had to coax her to sit down by me so I could tell her how much I love her and how glad I am that she came to our family 11 years ago. She is my sunshine and her wit, giggle and smile have saved my life a hundred times over. There's no one in this world or the next that could convince me that she wasn't meant for our family. The old poem is so true, "Not flesh of my flesh nor bone of my bone but still miraculously my own. Never forget for a single minute, you didn't grow under my heart, but in it." I also have to pause and reflect on her birth mom and think about what this day must mean to her. To give her to a family who could offer what she could not is one of the greatest acts of love in the world. I'm very grateful for her every day but especially on Sally's birthday. Okay, enough sap, that's not really my thing but it's all true.

Humm, a little Billy to end on for the day??? How about, "we didn't start the fire..."