Fourteen

On May 18th Abigail turned fourteen years old. 

I started preparing the weekend before right at my baking center. Busy, busy, busy...

Measuring... 

Whipping...

sifting... 

melting and gently folding... 

cooling... 

... right in the middle of very full month (and kind of stressful at school) with correcting, planning, and getting ready for the end of the year (oh the end of year goal write ups) Sometimes in May I am so tired by the end of the day that my body actually starts to ache... oh classroom teachers you know what I mean... 

But I love to make my daughters birthdays so very special. 

That morning Scott, Anna, and I came in her room and sang her awake... it's our thing and we love it! 

She opened one present (from Anna) 

Loving Anna's face just as much as Abigail's face too. 

Abigail named these "vanilla muffins" - she likes them just so plain. One of her favorite school morning breakfasts. 

After school my parents stopped by to give Abigail gifts. 

Anna was taking an AP exam and wasn't there right after school to be with Abigail as she usually is, so she left notes all over for her sister. So so sweet. 

There was a special dinner - her favorite (chicken pot pie)

A few photos to mark the day.

One with her daddy... 

One with her sister... 

and hugs from mama... 

And then it was time for her special birthday cake...

Chocolate cake wrapped around chocolate ice-cream with a homemade chocolate ganache on top... so amazing! 

Abigail is always to enthusiastic about presents and has the best opening presents face! She is such a joy... 

Coming soon - we had to reschedule twice already but summertime is almost here and so is this fun adventure for Abigail (and us!) 

Fourteen... we love you so much baby girl... 

Her Last Middle School Concert

It seems as if every single post these days has the word "last" in it. With Anna graduating high school there are so many "lasts". Well, we have another daughter that is in the middle of a bunch of "lasts" herself. 

Abigail is graduating middle school (8th grade) this year and moving on to high school in the fall. 

So when we found that we would be treated to a concert this spring at her school we were beyond thrilled. When the select orchestra began (Beaux Strings) in the fall they didn't know if they would have a live concert. 

Could not wait for this concert! 

She also is in the select choir group which performed first. (with such an awesome teacher!)

The choir performance is linked here. 

She had a solo and we were thrilled for her! 

This one below... my favorite... I can tell even behind the mask her pure joy... in her eyes. 

Love her so much! 

Time for the orchestra! 

We will miss this teacher more than I can say. Anna had her as an orchestra teacher for three years in middle school and now Abigail. She makes saying goodbye to middle school so very difficult. 

The link to that part of the concert is here. 

I am so grateful to belong to these schools that believe in the arts and music. They have filled my girls with so much. 

This evening was like a graduation night for Abigail. She was beaming and we were too.