Happy 7th Birthday Lily!

I should say, happy 7 years and 2 months, since her B-day was actually in May. What can I say? I am behind in posting. Way behind. But, not to be outdone, I am also behind in laundry, ironing, cleaning, reading, sleeping, cooking, shopping, and about a dozen other things. With this latest pregnancy, it is only thanks to my husband and momma that the house is still standing, little people are fed, and baby diapers are changed. 

Finally, after two months of the sickies, I am feeling less like a zombie and more like a momma. So here I am, trying to play catch up...on everything. 

Back to my Lily girl. Did I mention she is seven!!! That is just crazytown! This year my darling grew out of training wheels, pigtail braids, key lime pie and cheese (she just doesn't like them!). She grew in to ninjas, her own version of parkour, and all things country. 

When party planning came around, I crossed my fingers that she wouldn't ask for a ninja party. Please, oh please, no ninjas! I secretly kept trying to steer her toward the ponies, happy, innocent, frolicking ponies. I already had enough things on hand for a simple round-up party. Cowgirl party won out in the end! Woohoo!

Sadly, none of her friends were available to come on her birthday weekend, so we had two little soirees. One with just family and cake, and another with friends during the week. Her two favorite gifts ended up being her cowboy boots from Grandma Jere and her new bike from Momma and Papa. She wore these boots non-stop for the first two months. Boots to breakfast, boots to the store, boots to the park, boots to church. Finally, the heat of these Virginia summers convinced her to give her sandals a try, and let those suckers air out for an hour! Phew!

The mister found this nifty bike at a local thrift store. It just needed a quick clean-up. We peeled off all the silly manufacturer's stickers and scrubbed it down. My man had the great idea to snag a pack of colorful Sharpies at Costco, so Lily could decorate the whole bike herself! It was only a couple of weeks before she was riding, sans training wheels, like a real pro!

We ate cake, opened presents, and loved on that sweetie!

The friends party was a blast, too! There were nine little girls here to celebrate Lily with us. 

I used some old coffee bean bags my sis-in-law, Tori, gave me for the table runner. Then my sister, Beka, sent me lilies for Mother's Day (so sweet!). Those were perfect for the table as well. Finally, I found some bandannas at the dollar store for each kiddo to wear and little star pins they could decorate with stickers. 

After presents and a Nerf gun showdown (don't get between a cowgirl and her Nerf gun!), we headed outside for some piñata action. I was all about saving money this year, so some packing paper, triple-lined, ended up making a lovely, albeit imperfect, sheriff's star piñata. 

I am so proud of my seven year old cowgirl. She is thoughtful, caring, sensitive, and full of imagination. Lily can tell herself a story, of her own creation, for an hour without a second thought. She wakes us up in the middle of the night because she needs paper and a pencil to draw that picture she just doesn't want to forget. She sings when no one is listening, cried when she found out how Abraham Lincoln died, and digs worms and catches frogs like nobodies business. 

When Lily grows up she wants to be a storyteller, a farmer, a missionary, and an artist. 

Go get it, girl! You are loved to bits.