Molly is 11!

The friend party is always the hardest.  

We skipped cake for fruit parfaits this year.  

Nobody even likes frosting these days.

It's all about the Cool Whip.

And I'm hoping we're not the only family who has a hodgepodge of used candles to select from each birthday.  

She found 10 matching, then threw in a white one to make it look neutral.

Then we blew up balloons for the mailbox.  Because it's not a party without balloons tied to the mailbox.

It's not the most professional-looking, or perfectly edited, but this photo is one of my favorites.

The pool was our first stop.  Had to burn off some excited 10 and 11-year-old energy somewhere.

Nothing makes me happier than seeing her so happy.

And because you only turn 11 once, I drove 4 hyper girls, plus Maisie to McDonald's in Des Moines on a Saturday.  

AND, the best part was that they had an ordering kiosk! 

God help me.

Sunday Morning was for Starbucks.  'Maisie stepped this photo out.'

Half the girls had no idea what to order as they've never been- only heard of it - as if it were Hollywood.

3 pink drinks, 1 iced chai latte, a Unicorn cake pop, and a cookie-java-chip frappuccino later, we could finally call this party a Win.

I don' think anyone packed a hairbrush either.

They were supposed to camp out in the tent- but everyone came inside the living room at 1 a.m. due to lightning.  

Plus Leo and the septic are smelling a little rough back there.

.  

Everyone's gift included some sort of fidget because it's 2021 and that's what 11-years-olds do.

There was only one argument that revolved around one friend not believing in Maisie's psychic abilities after the Ouija board and Tarot cards popped out, and Molly got defensive. 

Which oddly enough, makes me super-proud and emotional about the protective sisterly bond my girls share. 

I clearly remember the pregnancy test I took confirming her arrival.  

Mike was busy painting the trim on Maisie's closet when I told him.  

3.  

Holy Crap...3!?

And I wonder what life would be like if we didn't have our unexpected 3rd. 

Someone, somewhere, knew EXACTLY what HE was doing when He created our Moo.