Happy 13th Birthday, Willow! (plus Teenage Beach Bash!)

Being an official teenager is a pretty big deal so we wanted to do something a little bigger for Willow's 13th birthday. We gave her a few options and she chose the beach! She invited two friends but one was in a cast and opted not to come. She was given the option of inviting someone else but decided to just have extra time with her friend Helena. They're really two peas in a pod. They took the Myers Briggs personality test on the drive to the beach and they're both the same letters. They both love to read and compete against each other with their scores in class. Helena is a sweet friend and she was so polite and positive. We'd take her anywhere!

Waking up to a little light reading before hitting the beach!

The water was soooooo cold but they couldn't resist!

We stayed right on the beach :)

Owen had a good weekend as well. The girls did well including him. 

They went from toes, to ankles, to knees, to waist deep! Chris and I couldn't manage past our ankles. 

We noticed a couple guys run by, then a few more, then noticed that they were wearing numbers, then looked down the beach to see a whole trail of runners! There was a 5k that ran along the beach so we had quite a parade to watch. Based on the bib numbers there were just over 2,000 people! 

We rented a large surrey (aka bike) for a couple hours that was fun to ride down the boardwalk. 

This is about how far up the rope they got:

They enjoyed the hotel pool for a while. It was warm enough to relax a bit more than the ocean water!

The sunrise the next morning was at 6:15 and both girls wanted to be woken up to see it. Ironically enough, Owen is always the early riser and didn't wake up until 30 minutes later. 

It was beautiful!

One more dose of the salty water before driving home!

Before:

After:

Willow's birthday was on a Monday and she picked Golden Corral for dinner. She even let us tell the waitress but did turn a few shades of red when they actually sang to her!

We sang to her that morning too... it just wasn't as embarrassing!

Willow picked a Coldstone cookie dough icecream cake for her 3rd birthday celebration...this time with family. 

Her parents finally let her sit in the front seat of the car and her favorite thing is.....the sun visor! Check out that smile!

The azalea bush has definitely seen better days...

like when she turned 5...

Will we remember this picture when she actually turns 31??

Here's her 20 questions video.

How old are you? 13
What's your favorite color? blue
What is your favorite activity? playing with friends
What is your favorite fruit? cantaloupe
What is your favorite TV show? Danger Force
What is your favorite thing to eat at lunch? Salem Salad (from Mac and Bob's)
What is your favorite type of clothes? tshirt and shorts
What is your favorite game to play? Settlers of Catan
What is your favorite snack? cheddar covered pretzels
What is your favorite animal? cat
What is your favorite song? For King and Country songs
What is your favorite book? Keeper of the Lost Cities, Unwanted
Who is your best friend? Heidi
What is your favorite cereal? Life
What is your favorite thing to do outside? flips on the trampoline, play with cats
What is your favorite drink? milk
What is your favorite holiday? Easter
What do you take to bed at night? blankie, bear, water
What is your favorite thing to eat at breakfast? bagel with cream cheese or butter
What did you have for dinner on your birthday? Golden Corral
What job do you want to have when you're older? teacher

* Willow has really grown up on us. She's shown capability of managing her time and grades while participating on athletic teams. She's shown responsibility in following the expectations of using the cell phone she got a month ago. She's shown compassion and concern for friends (especially one who is going through a lot emotionally). It's amazing to see her develop into a more mature young woman. She's literally grown up too and proudly stands 5'7"...1/2" taller than her mother at the moment. 

* Willow has been the most committed to basketball and soccer this year than any other sports season. She willingly practiced basketball outside of practice and was receptive to advise from her parents. Her coaches talked about her "coachability" and receptive attitude. She regularly was the last one off the soccer field because she was helping gather and carry in equipment. She wanted to be on the sidelines with her team even when she couldn't play because of her concussion. 

* Willow has continued to excel in her advanced academic courses, earning straight As all year. She earned Pass Advance on her English and Advanced Algebra SOL tests (a high school credit course). She has two great friends in her classes that challenge her for the highest grade in the class. Her science fair project was one of 4 chosen to represent their school at the county level fair. We love seeing her gain confidence in speaking with adults. 

* When Willow's not at school or practice, you can find her in her room. She goes up after school and we don't see her until dinner. She's usually listening to music and dancing or reading. On Saturday mornings she usually won't stroll down until 9:00 or later. She's loves playing games, which we do most nights after dinner. She's always up for any game! 

* She still enjoys reading with us at bedtime until 8:00 (the length of her showing process really cuts into the time available though!!) then reads until 8:30 each night. Chris often has to wake her up at 7:00 for school. She has a great attitude about trying and eating all dinner foods and never complains. She's really enjoyed trying new foods that she gets recipes for from her Radish Kids boxes each month. She loves to bake as well! 

* When with family, she's flocked more to the adult conversation than playing with cousins. She still enjoys playing with them though. She's in a phase of not acknowledging her brother much these days, which is hard to see. She often talks harshly to him or gives him teenage looks. We celebrate the rare moments that they play in the rain together or play basketball at the same time. Owen is ready to have his buddy back!

* Willow is my buddy for watching all the things....high school games, concerts, dance performances, etc. She's grown out of the Sunday School classes at church so she attended the service with us a while until the idea was mentioned about helping me in nursery. She's absolutely loved it! It's sweet to see her interact with the kids in our 1s class but she helps out in the Kindergarten class on my off-weeks and enjoys that too!