McKinley's 5th Birthday

It has been a SUPER busy past couple weeks. I am way behind on posting things, but I didn't want to let September end without doing a birthday post for my 5-year-old McKinley! She had her birthday on the 9th. I don't know if everyone is this way - especially with their oldest - but sometimes I just sit & watch her when she doesn't know it and just ponder on how big she's grown. Sometimes it makes me really sad. Other times I think about how much easier she is now that she can do most things by herself.

She's a whole hand old now! She doesn't shop in the T's anymore (4T, 5T). She can really read. She doesn't need help reaching most water fountains and sinks. Seriously! She is grown up! The only thing that holds her back is that she doesn't get to go to Kindergarten this year :( People ask her about it & she will readily tell them with a downcast face that she just missed the deadline. She is enjoying her preschool/dance/tumbling classes, though, grandma Potts is teaching her some piano, and I try to keep her on her toes in other ways.

Anyway, below are some of my favorite scrapbook pgs from her birthday book and some pictures from her birthday. It was a hard year with her birthday falling right after my aunt's funeral, but we still managed to have fun anyway - with her birthday crown, birthday tablecloth, meals of choice (ebbelskeevers again for breakfast, homemade pizza for lunch, McDonalds - a surprise - with her cousins for dinner), gifts (apron, hat & baking cookbooks from mom & dad, camera from Grandma DeeAnn, play guitar from Grandma Potts, a game, some money from her cousin Michael, crafts), baking her own birthday cake, letting go of 5 balloons, and staying up late with mom & dad to look at pictures and talk about how special McKinley is & how important she is in our family.

WE LOVE YOU McKINLEY! HAPPY 5th!!