Honestly, I don’t know how it happened  I just seem to recall when I turned twenty my grandma telling me...the years will start to go by faster and faster, and before you know it, you will be my age...and today, it hit me.  I have a teenager.  I think I am still too young to have a teenager...I even think I am too cool to have a teenager, and most times, I think I am still a teenager, so, I ask you...how does this happen? 

 

Well, regardless of how we got here, this is my year of the non birthday party.  See, it was my new years resolution—no birthday parties this year.  Only one friend for a sleepover birthdays.  So far, I have kept my resolution—have you? 

 

So, it was Caroline and Audrey, and I (clearly holding onto my own youth) who went to so see Twilight again today.  I have to say, I enjoyed it this time more so than the first.  Then, we decided to go to the mall tomorrow, in case she had some $$ to spend. 

 

Clearly the theme of the party was Twilight.  It happened quite by accident, but, it turned out well.  I found these GREAT things on Café Press, my new favorite website.  Odd Twilight things, like this Alice T-shirt which she adored, bc Alice is her favorite character in Twilight.  Then, I happened across these ‘ornaments’ which were actually supposed to be charms, but, now we are calling them ‘door charms’— which worked for them! 

 

Other gifts included a messenger bag that said Peace, Love and Twilight, and her grandma got her another Twilight T that said La Push Wolves.  Caroline got in on the theme with a stuffed lamb that has a pin that says “And so the lion fell in love with the lamb.” So, she is about maxed out on Twilight merchandise. 

 

Outside of the Twilight genre, she also received a beautiful Tiffany bracelet from Gramma and Gramps (very grown up), a dog T-shirt and photo album from Aunt Kathy, a wolf fur necklace, and charm necklace from Grandma, and a camera from Mom and Papa. 

Then there was the cake.  We (again) didn’t order it in time, so we decided to make a solid ice cream cake.  How hard can that be...really?  Okay, I already called Milwaukee and put my order in for NEXT year!  Not that it didn’t taste great...but, well, it just wasn’t pretty.  But, Audrey made it herself, and she loved it...so that was all that mattered to us! 

First, she applied the hot fudge to the top with her fingertip.  Which worked pretty good, until the top melted, causing a landslide.  Frosting?  Oh, that didn’t work AT ALL.  No, like I said...next years cake is already on order. 

In years past, the cake actually looked better on camera...this year?  Not so much.  But...

After taking a chisel to the cake, the end result was ‘plate-lickin’ good’… and in the end, it all looks the same in your stomach!~

Audrey’s birthday dinner was at Jackson’s—her new fave restaurant discovered with Uncle Jon!  She had sushi, and Caroline had steak.  It was a great meal had by all!! 

In the end, I think the birthday she was dreading most, turned into a pretty great day.  I mean truly, she’s turning 13—just coming into her ‘coolness’—not like she’s 39 or anything.  Jeez...