Rachel's 11-Yr Birthday Interview & Letter!

***Rachel at Age 11***

Shoe size- 4/5

Going into Grade: 6th

Party theme this year: Beach/Luau
Gifts this year: Skateboard, art supplies

Favorite Color: dark blue

Favorite Game: Roblox

Favorite Animal: crocodile

Favorite Food: spaghetti 

Favorite Drink: coke

Favorite Snack- Gushers

Favorite Dessert- icecream

Favorite Season: summer

Favorite Holiday: Christmas

Favorite Restaurant: chick fil a

Favorite Tv Show- Stranger Things

Favorite Movie: Clueless

Favorite Book- Don't really like to read (MAKES MAMA SAD!!)

Favorite Flower: roses

Favorite Thing to do: Draw and make Tik Tok videos 

Favorite Thing to do outside: ride bike

Favorite part of school: science

Favorite Thing to Wear: tshirt and jeans or comfy pants

Best Friend: Emily 

What are you afraid of? getting run over ????

What do you want to be when you grow up? Artist 

What do you want for Christmas this year? Robucks for the game

On Rachel's actual birthday on thursday, I took off from work. I took her and Brooke to the salon to get our nails done. Rachel had been wanting acrylic nails forever and I said when she turned 11 we'd try them. The girl doing her nails didn't really ask or know to make them short, so they ended up longer than we expected but its ok. 

Rachel got her's dark blue, Brooke got her's lavender purple, and I got mine patriotic colors! While I was there I also got my eyebrows waxed, its been waaaaaay too long! 

That evening we took her and 2 of her good friends to the mall with us to hang out. They just wanted to walk around and be together, although there wasn't much to do. I feel bad because she had really wanted to go to Skateland but it isn't open right now. 

We then went to dinner at her favorite place, Applebee's! She wanted a beach/luau themed cake, so I ordered one from Publix. They have the most delicious cakes!! 

Rachel and her best friend, emily. Emily came home with us that night, and the girls had a sleepover. Rachel was so happy.. they played and watched tv and practiced learning how to use her pennyboard. Rachel's room is right next to mine, so I heard them up talking and giggling all night long :P

We always have to take a pic with our birthday girl! Can't believe she is 11! 

I have NO clue what made her so obsessed with skateboards this year, but she has been begging for one for the longest time. What she got is actually called a pennyboard, it's a little smaller than standard. Arnold was worried for awhile about her hurting herself on one, but he has come around.. and we plan on having her wear protective gear. And of course she wanted one that was BLUE.. her favorite color! It's pretty neat, the wheels even light up when she rolls! 

We also got her a few other little things like art supplies and this FUNKO POP from her FAVORITE show, Stranger Things. She absolutely loves the silly guy on there who loves cherry slushees, so when I saw him on amazon, I knew I had to get it ;) 

Both sets of her grandparents and her friend gave her money for her birthday. She was thrilled. She loves to go shopping and pick stuff out. Mostly just for the thrill of it. My dad says she is a typical woman ;) We went to Target and she picked out a pretty, peach colored new comforter for her bed.. and i was so happy! She actually picked something useful this time ;) 

Shortly after she was born, we planed a tree in our backyard. Well, actually it was my Mother-in-laws idea, so she gets the credit. So now that is Rachel's tree! I have been taking a pic of her in front of it every year to show how much they've both grown! Time really flies! 

My Letter to Rachel:

Dear Rachel,

I still remember how excited I was to find out we were expecting you. Your dad probably would have been happy having just 2 kids, but I knew I needed another one!! We now can't imagine live without a Rachel in it! You have always been a mama's girl.. from being a sweet baby wanting to snuggle with me, to clinging to me on the first day of school, to always running outside to greet me when I get home from work. I know we have a special bond :) You have always been so intelligent and talented. You have done well in school, won a lot of awards, and have an awesome vocabulary. I love that you are so outdoorsy, you can stay outside all day long if I let you, and you love getting dirty. You have always been extremely silly and entertaining, we call you the family comedian. You can break out in dance randomly, you make the funniest expressions, and you don't really care what anyone thinks-- you just like to have fun!! I love how confident you are, and i wish I could be more like that. As you head to middle school in the Fall, I am sad that you are growing up and things will be changing, but I am excited for a new chapter in  your life and we know you will work hard and make us proud. I love you sweet Rachel Louise!!!!! 

End of School & Rachel's Graduation!

Well we made it to the end of another school year!!! We are so proud of the kids and all they accomplished, even if their year did get cut short. We were especially sad for Brooke, because she had been working SO hard on her grades lately, and had just joined the track team, and never even got to do any of that. 

We have watched our 2 older kids get to have an elementary school graduation ceremony.. and unfortunately this year we were stuck in the corona virus fiasco, so Rachel didn't get the ceremony we had all been looking forward to. But her teachers were awesome and made sure they still had special things to remember this occasion. The teachers made cute shirts for the kids, and they planned a virtual graduation. Arnold, the kids and I sat on the couch and gathered around the ipad while we participated with Rachel's class. The principal came on and spoke, they showed their names and pictures from the yearbook, then announced awards. It wasn't how we had expected it, but it was SO sweet and it still made me want to cry!! ;) 

Rachels turn to be announced on screen 

We usually get the kids a little something for a graduation gift. I got Rachel some art supplies and a stuffed Eleven doll from Stranger Things (two of her favorite things at the moment!) and of course I had to throw in the owl balloon when I saw it! ;) 

I LOVE how the teachers made it extra special for each student and wrote something personal about them, and what they loved about them. Rachel's teacher really nailed in with her's. We have always said Rachel was our funny, unique, crazy kid. She doesn't really care what people think, does her own thing, and really enjoys life. I love that about her. I also love how the picture they used was of the day she was wearing her tacky Christmas sweater and sporting her VSCO girl bun! :D Like I said-- my sweet girl marches to the beat of her own drummer-- and I hope she never changes!!!! 

I look for any opportunity for a picture (as you all know!) so I made the girls go by their schools and take one last picture! I cannot believe after all those years spent at their Elementary school... volunteering, eating lunch with them, book fairs and science nights, award ceremonies and field days.. we will never be going back again :( This has really been hard on me, because while Rachel has been in elementary school, I felt like I still had one "kid" left. But now that she is moving on to middle school in the fall, things feel totally different. It's like she KNOWS too, because lately she's shown just a little more sass, attitude, and moodiness. I remember Brooke going through that stage and it was hard then. But it's ESPECIALLY hard with the baby of the family!! 

I also can't believe Brooke is done with middle school! I still remember dropping her off for the first day and she was so nervous about her new beginnings. She grew up SO much in these past 3 years. Became so independent. Made friends and even her first boyfriend. She learned to play trumpet and be involved with a group. She really worked hard at improving her grades, and her teachers and I all noticed. I hope she carries these work ethics with her to highschool in the fall. 

Brooke and Caleb's school had an end-of-year parade... we drove through in our car with the windows down. The kids go to say goodbye to all their teachers, and pickup their report cards and awards. Brooke loved it, she is our social butterfly. Caleb kinda hung back and just watched (he's SO much like me!!) Brooke was especially emotional because she got to say goodbye to all her previous teachers, and her band director, and principal. 

Even though they didn't do a complete semester at school before the coronavirus hit, I am still SO proud of Brooke for making the honor roll! Caleb almost made it but his score dropped some in math (he gets that from me too!!!) but we are still very proud of his hard work. His teachers all wrote such sweet messages on his report card on how much they enjoyed having him in class. Caleb is the kid who never gets in trouble, is nice to everyone, and helpful to the teachers :)

I love walking by the fridge these days and seeing all the kids' awards! Rachel's graduation certificate is up there, and her certificates for being in the Robotics Club and Battle of the Books this year (sadly, they did not get to compete though!!!) and some perfect attendance and honor roll awards.. oh and that random thing with the little pics on it is my class at work ;) ;) 

I had to post this picture of Rachel on her very first day of school (Kindergarten!) vs. her at the very end of elementary school :( I can't believe how much she has grown! When she was 5 she let me put her in adorable dresses, big bows and frilly little socks. Now she has her own opinions and styles, which i've had to get used to because I'm some what of a control freak (just ask Arnold!!) haha. 

Caleb doesn't like me taking picture of him these days, but I had to post this cute picture of him the day of his preschool graduation. Our kids were 2, 4, and 5 in this picture. WOW those were the crazy days! I don't know how we survived!! ;) 

We let Rachel pick where to eat the night of her graduation and she picked her favorite, Applebees. It was one of the first times back in a real restaurant since this coronavirus stuff, and it was a lot of fun :)