An AVA Birthday

 My sweet Ava girl turned TEN this week! Double digits!

She has been asking for a pet for a few years. "A rabbit, a lizard, I would even take a fish!" So, even though we vowed we would never have another indoor pet, the day before her birthday Tim and I headed to Petco to pick up a fish. An hour later we left with two geckos, a terrarium, plants, dry food, and live worms and crickets. We both walked out of the store a little stunned.

We set everything up in our closet and told her it was too hard to wrap and she positive that was because it was a fishbowl. The morning of her birthday was so exciting! And she was totally shocked that we had actually gotten her a pet. All the kids were beyond happy about it. She is determined to take perfect care of them and she just loves them. 

We had the whole day planned out. Presents, go out to breakfast (we went to IHOP for crepes), come home and get Bri ready for her first stunting competition. Take her to the comp while the boys go to Bus' basketball game, and then take her to lunch at Hug Hes. We didn't have time to go to the restaurant because Bri was too nervous to leave for long, so we got some McDonalds and then back to watch. The home to play and then Mason's basketball game. Then finally have all the family over for cake and ice cream at night. Only we got the time wrong for Mason's game and he and Tim had to leave for the game just as everyone was arriving. All the hitches to the plan aside, she had a great day.

Ava is so easy to please. She is so happy. She is always looking for way to have fun, which can be exhausting, but also makes life so much better. So much more fun. Instead of watching TV or playing Xbox, she wants to bake something, or play outside, or have a friend over, or literally anything! Please, give the girl something fun to do! She is kind to everyone, especially her siblings, even when they don't deserve it. It makes her happy to make other people happy. There really is no one better to turn to when you need a little cheering up. She will drop whatever she's doing to make someone feel good. I remember when she was toddler, she was so so busy, and a little crazy, and sometimes it would get overwhelming to other people. But I have always just been in awe of how much joy she finds in life. Her energy and her fun spirit is the best thing in the world.