Kaylee is 10 years old!

All the loot- clothes, scarves, boots, and knitting looms and yarn.

They don't fit. She told me she couldn't get them on, so I forced them up and then they were stuck. Ugh!

All the loot

Hermit Crabs

Karaoke night

Birthday Girl

It is hard to believe we have a 10 year old! Kaylee is a very sweet little lady, who loves Jesus and has a desire to follow Him. We are very proud of her and excited to see what God has in store for her in her future. She has been such a blessing to us over the first 10 years of her life. 

To celebrate her big day, we took the kids to the new movie, "Big Hero Six" and out to eat at Olive Garden over the weekend. Then on her actual birthday, she got to open her gifts before school and then after school went and picked out two hermit crabs. She had been wanting hermit crabs since she saw them while we were on vacation in June. She named them Mini and Speedy. They have been fun to watch, as they are pretty active. She is taking great care of them so far, making sure they have food and both fresh water and salt water. The birthday celebration continued with her favorite pasta dish and chocolate chip banana cake with peanut butter frosting for dessert. Kaylee wanted us to have a karaoke family night. We had some good laughs, pictures and videos. Fun times!

Here are some facts about Kaylee:

• School: Kaylee LOVES school! She is a model child in regards to homework. She comes home and gets it done. Her favorite subjects are music, art, and history. She gets straight A's.
• Sports: Kaylee's favorite sports are volleyball, basketball, and swimming. She plays soccer too, but would not put it in her favorite category at the moment. She got really burnt out on soccer at the club level. She played from April through October with about a 7-8 week break in there. She has decided not to play indoor soccer, but will play with her club team again in the Spring. She is just finishing up volleyball and is looking forward to the start of basketball season.
• Drama: Kaylee tried out for the school play, Chronicles of Narnia, but unfortunately didn't get cast. Instead, she joined the Drama Club, which she has really enjoyed. She is working on her acting and performing skills. She just found out that she was cast in one of the lead roles for our church's Christmas play. She even has a solo. 
• Crafts: She still enjoys crafts very much. This Fall she has begun learning how to sew and how to finger knit. She is currently hooked on the latter. She also enjoys drawing and pretty much any other craft you give her.
• Reading: Kaylee has begun to get excited about reading. She has read books 1-4 in the Harry Potter Series. She really enjoys them. Unfortunately, they get a bit dark, so we had her stop for awhile. She has also begun reading the Left Behind Series for Kids. She likes historical fiction books, especially about World War II.
• Bible Quizzing: This year we are studying the book of Exodus. She got a gold medal at her first quiz meet with a score of 59/60. Like I said she is a smartie!
• Friends: Last year was a rough year with friends and this year has been the complete opposite. Her closet friend is Amelia Grupp. Her and Kaylee are very much alike. It happens that Amelia's younger sister, Chloe, and Kianna are really good friends too. Kaylee's other good friends are Emily Willet and Hannah Spohn. Kaylee has been getting invited over for playdates and sleepovers more this year, which has been fun.
• Baptized- Kaylee chose to be baptized on Easter this past year. That was a big decision for her and we couldn't be prouder.
• Games- Kaylee still enjoys playing games. Her favorite game on her iPad is Minecraft. Favorite boardgames include Clue, Life, and Ticket to Ride.
• Adventures in Odyssey- She still LOVES listening to these CDs. She goes to sleep listening to it each night. One of the highlights of our summer vacation for Kaylee was visiting the studio where Adventures in Odyssey is recorded. 
• Favorite Foods- Kaylee is still our pasta girl. She LOVES it. Whether it be a pasta salad, fettuccine alfredo, lasagna, tortellini, penne pasta or mac and cheese she LOVES it. The only pasta she isn't crazy about is spaghetti. She also loves dessert like her Mom. She especially likes ice cream and anything with peanut butter and chocolate. 
• Favorite Shows- Daddy recently subscribed to Netflix, which opened up a whole new world of shows to the kids. Kaylee's current favorite is Star Wars Rebels.