Happy 10th Birthday, Isabelle!

Sunday we celebrated 10 years of life for Isabelle. We enjoyed a wonderful day- we actually started celebrating Saturday morning, with our birthday tradition of breakfast on the beach. We always take the birthday person out to eat at our favorite restaurant on their birthday. Since Isabelle's birthday was on a Sunday this year, we decided to go to breakfast on Saturday. It was wonderful and the tide was low so we got some fantastic tide pool tiime in and I captured some wonderful shots of all the kids.

Suunday morning began with the traditional singing of "This is the Day!" our family birthday song. The birthday person mudst wait in  their bed on the morning of their birthday until the whole family gathers in their room to sing to them. When everyone has gathered and the camera is ready, the singing and picture taking begins! :)

We enjoyed morning church and then back to the house for a quick lunch and then off to the beach for the afternoon. Isabelle had invited Janessa to spend some time with her, since her birthday is coming up in a couple weeks. We headed to Tamarindo and had a great afternoon.

We met up with Karlee and Shaylene at the beach and spent the rest of the day with them, rounding the day off with tacos for supper (Isabelle's choice and a cake that the girls had made for Isabelle!

Dear sweet Isabelle,
It is so hard for me to believe that you are 10 when I look at you with Momma eyes. I remember you as the tiny little baby I brought home from the hospital three weeks early, or Daddy's 'sidekick girl', or the chubby cheek little preschooler who loved to sing all the time, or even the scared little girl who didn't under any circumstances want to go to her new school in Costa Rica where everyone spoke Spanish...

But here you are turning 10- double digits! You are as caring as ever and still sing everywhere you go, all the time. You've lost those chubby cheeks and turned into this bright, sunshine girl who shines bright for Jesus. You are maturing every day. And to think- all those years ago when you were so scared of Spanish- now it rattles off of your tongue as if you've always known how to speak it!

There is no way for me to express the amount of love I have for you, Izzy Bizzy. You make my world bright and happy and sunshiney! We are alot alike and that will surely bring us hard days, but I love every minute of having you as my oldest daughter. I love that you love to read, fiction books, history books, and especially the Bible. I love to listen to you sing. I love to see you serve- cooking, cleaning, helping in whatever way you can. I love it because I see Jesus in you.

You are my sweet, little Isabelle, and you always will be- as long as I'm living my baby you'll be :)

Happy Birthday, Isa!