Leah's family birthday

On the eve of August 18th, we celebrated Leah's birthday around our table with good friends. Our new renter, Tasha, is a fellow Biola alum and shares Leah's birthday, so it was especially fun to have her there.  Mallie and Amy (friends from church) and John, Kristi, and Baby Jack Stofer (our housemates) rounded out a fun gathering to celebrate our precious Leah.  

I made a gluten-free coconut cake inspired by the crockpot lady that everyone seemed to enjoy.

I woke up that morning to this conversation:  

 L: (With tears in her eyes) "Mommy, I don't feel four!"

Me:  "Well, how old do you feel?"

L:  "Three and three quarters."

Me:  (Something along the lines of)  "Well it'll come."

Rest assured that just a few hours later and ever since, she is feeling (and reminding everyone around her that she is) FOUR YEARS OLD.

Just a few days earlier we had this conversation:

L:  "On my birthday, I'm actually going to turn 5 years old."

Me:  "Wow, so you're just going to skip over 4?"

L:  (with a smirk and a roll of the eyes) "I know!  What in the world?!"

No matter what age, this girl is a character and we're so grateful for her.

WE LOVE YOU, LEAH!

Leah is 4!

Leah turned 4 on August 18th and we had her party at a local park.  It was uncommonly beautiful outside and many friends came to celebrate. 

Because of her gluten-intolerance, she blew out candles shoved into a gallon of chocolate ice cream made by our local Amish farmers.  Below is a picture of a dirt cake with stick candles that she and her friends made.  (She can print out this picture and take it to her therapist in 20 years to work through the pathetic life of a gluten-free child.)

The kids were from all different social circles so they took a while to warm up to each other.  I desperately initiated slightly successful old-school group games (anybody remember the rules to freeze tag?), but once they found the cups and a dry patch of dirt they were all a go.  

Exhibit A:  John Jacob Jingleheimer Dirt.  Do not ask me how he got the perfect raccoon smudges around his eyes.  So glad I bathed him earlier that morning.  Sigh.

We are so thankful for our friends and their kids.  This was a great day of celebrating Leah!