Thursday, February 23, 2012

Happy 17th to our Hannah!

Chris was out of town for Hannah's birthday on the 20th (Monday) so we waited to celebrate until last night :)

Dad brought home 17 beautiful pink & white carnations and we had some Cold Stone Creamery Peanut Butter Playground birthday cake. 

That was a mouthful ... literally ;)

Then we headed out to P.F. Changs (her choice) for a birthday dinner ... just mom, dad and the birthday girl.

We do a lot as a family and that has always included birthday dinners. Last year as I sopped up a spilled drink and refereed a WWF match between the boys while trying to make Emma's birthday dinner feel "special" I had an epiphany!

How about celebrating birthday dinners with just Mom & Dad? I mean really, Mom & Dad could use a little celebrating too and wrangling Bonnie & Clyde Clara & Benjamin is a lot of work! 

So that is just what we did last night ... and a new tradition was born!




She is 17 ... no cliches needed to 
sum up how ridiculous this is.

Birthday candles are just about the best thing in the whole wide world.



You can't see her little helpers in this pic but 
they are never far away from the candle blowing action.

Clara opened Hannah's gift for her ...

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3! 
Just what every 17 year girl dreams about!


Later at the restaurant, I waited patiently for my Mongolian Beef.
Which was really more like, "WHERE IS MY MONGOLIAN BEEF?"

We took several pics with Hannah's phone ...



We blew the waiter's mind and asked him to take a pic with Hannah's good camera.
It might have given him a seizure.

Banana Spring Rolls!


"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show 
that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." 
2 Corinthians 4:7


Thankful that our fortune is not contained in a cardboard cookie.

However, Hannah does put up with quite a few small 
annoyances each day in the form of some short people who live here ;)


My big girl.


Our chauffeur.
AKA: favorite husband and daddy :)

TARGET!


We had a wonderful time celebrating our beautiful girl! Mothering her has been one of my life's greatest blessings but calling my daughter a precious friend is an abundant gift that I do not deserve. Thankful for God's continual redemption in my life.

"I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you." - Joel 2:25

Happy 17th baby girl.


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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing Hannah's birthday dinner in words & pictures-- looks like everyone had a wonderful evening (even the "little inconveniences"!! HaHa!!! -- she will look back someday and have wonderful memories especially when those "little inconveniences" are 5 ft. plus. Luv u, gigi

Anonymous said...

Sorry meant "little annoyances" - but she probably thinks of them as "little inconveniences" at times also. gigi

Anonymous said...

Kim, thank you for sharing this special occasion. It sure makes it easier for those of us not in the area. Also, thank you for you and Chris being such great role models for others, like me. You guys are definitely the two I look up to in all of my parenting endeavors. Hannah, you are a very special girl and you are very loved. We love you and miss you. Uncle Curt

Stacey Byrd said...

I look at the "candles" photo and beam with joy. Her image beholds such beauty as she reflects the Light of the World on her sweet face. Keep shining sweet girl ~ Happy Birthday!

Lisa Spence said...

As you know we just celebrated the birthday of my oldest--eighteen!!!--so I completely relate to your reflections here and your previous post. My boy will fly the coop come August and I can hardly stand it! Oh, but the Lord is faithful...