Happy 12th Birthday Zoe!

Eek!  I have an almost teenager.  I can't believe how fast the years have flown by.   Honestly, Zoe has been such a blessing to our family and continues to be so.  Sure, we have some fun, hormonal pre-teen issues but the good far outweighs the bad moments.  She is growing in to such a beautiful young lady and is a delight to her brothers and sisters and mom and dad too.  I can't wait for the teenage years and to continue to see her grow in the Lord.

We celebrated as a family before Y came.  It was her choice and I'm glad we did so.  We were actually out of town on her birthday and traveling back home that day as well (after only getting a few hours sleep...at least for Mark and I).  She chose to go to a frozen yogurt place as her "activity" to celebrate 12 years of surviving our fam. Good choice and we all enjoyed our yogurt so much I forgot to get a picture.

 I love that my kids were intrigued by her gift.  Adams' Chronological Chart of History, from Papa and Grandmere.  It was so fun watching all of them gather around it to read and look at the pictures!

Zoe decided last year that she wanted to get her ears pierced for her 12th birthday.  She was as excited as Zoe gets about things like that (the pain and all).  So, the Friday before her birthday we headed to the mall for the piercings.  

Before (see the look of utter excitement)

During (yeah, that was the first ear and after it, I think she considered being done but realized the asymmetry wasn't going to work).

After!  The pain didn't last long.  It's been almost six weeks and I'm so impressed with how well she has cared for her ears.  I, um, was not like that which is why I let them grow in.  Twice.  She's just now been able to take them out and has told me, per her instructions (she was so excited to have them in writing) that she has to wear earrings for six months 24/7.  When she missed an ear cleaning (because, per the instructions it must be done three times a day), I think she had a mini panic attack.  She's getting braces at the end of February.  This should be fun.

 Yay!  Earrings from Ge and Granddaddy!

 And fun crafts from Aunt Yaya and Uncle J.

Zoe scoured my pinterest pages and landed on this beauty for her birthday cake. Red Velvet Cheesecake with Cream Cheese Icing.  I was scared ya'll.  You see, when I was a kid, my mom attempted a red velvet cake.  Several times.  It was crumbs.  Lots and lots of crumbs over and over again.  I ate red velvet cake crumbs until I was sick (they tasted really good even it never was a whole cake).  So, a red velvet cake from scratch had me so scared.  I did it though!  And oh lala...it was heavenly good!