Ameliya is Seven!

Our sweet Ameliya is seven now.  She has grown so much.  This past year has really brought a great deal of maturity about Mia - loss, pandemic, and hard situations tend to make you age a bit even when you're a little girl. 

I love to see that she still enjoys playing - she likes dollies and Calico Critters, adventuring outside and sports, painting and drawing and creating.  She's become very interested in helping in the kitchen, and also with laundry, cleaning, and chores in general - inside and out.  

We started Mia's birthday celebrating on Saturday.  She expressed her desire to have a Wellie Wisher doll, and I began looking for them online about a month ago.  I even briefly toyed with taking her for a weekend on the train to the American Girl store in Chicago to choose her doll and have the experience, however I wasn't brave enough to do that right now (not without Mike, nor until the pandemic passes us by a bit more).  However, when I got to looking, I found that there was a smaller American Girl store just 20 minutes from us, owned by a local woman.  The store isn't open on Mondays, so on Saturday Mia and I went for her grand adventure.  The American Girl store was adorable.  Besides the dolls and licensed clothing, she also had a great deal of handmade clothing for the mini, 15" and 18" dolls.  We looked for a long time and enjoyed seeing everything she had.  

(We were alone in the store and able to browse unmasked.)

Shout out to Hartger's - if you are near Pella with an AG loving girl, please check it out!  

Mia chose Kendall right away when given the choice of all the Wellie Wishers.  She also chose two outfits and a few other accessories.

After our time at Hartger's, we hit up a thrift store and then did a bit of clothes shopping for this growing girl. She declined eating out with old mom, because she was too excited to get home and show the kids Kendall, but she did snag a snack in the check out line.

So happy to have gotten some time with my middle girlie.

On Sunday we made banana cookies, which was the treat she chose over cake for her birthday dessert.

Birthday card from Papa and Grandma arrived!

Mike took off for Mia's Monday birthday and having him home is always a treat.  

She chose donuts and bacon for breakfast and unicorns for her "decor."  (We use the term decor loosely in this house.)

After breakfast she chose to unwrap her gifts.  Her American Girl was her main gift from Daddy and I, but we had a few other small things for her to open, and her siblings had all gotten or made her something.

Generously letting baby sister help...

She looks so old in this photo.  When we shopped on Saturday, she convinced me to buy a curling iron on clearance - I had pitched all mine a few years ago - so this morning we curled her hair.

When you have a large family you have enough people to play a party game!

Pin the horn on the unicorn, speed style!  Mia won!

For the rest of the morning, the kids played outside in the sun (and wind).  Mia got a backpack as one of her gifts - she was the last of the kids to get a new fresh backpack - and they love to fill them with necessaries and play they are on an adventure.  

Those curls were knots when she came in so we went for pigtail braids to tame her hair back down.

Requested lunch was hot dogs and mac and cheese, which she mixed together!  Mom also set out fresh fruits and veggies!

We spent our afternoon enjoying time and sharing banana cookies with cousins and Aunt Penny at the park around the corner.  I didn't take a single picture of the kids playing but they had a great time!  

After the park play we had to divide and conquer - Mike went with Xavier and took Evie to baseball practice and I took Natalee to her swim lesson.  Mia and Zayden came along with me.  Birthday or not, real life happens!  

Mia wanted Wendy's for supper, and we rounded out a day of food "treats" with chicken nuggets and fries.  A little ice cream after supper with an extra probiotic all around (ha) wrapped up our special girl's special day.  

(Couldn't get the candles to stand up in the ice cream so we set out some banana cookies to do the job.)

Ah, our Mia, we are so proud of the young lady you are becoming.  We love you ever so much, and are so thankful for your health, your helpfulness, and your sweetness.  Happiest of birthdays, precious daughter.