Partying at home for her 11th

We are usually out of town for her birthday, so starting last summer she began planning for an epic friend party in 2020. When I say she planned it – I mean she has notebooks full of ideas, Pinterest boards full of ideas, magazine clippings…so many ideas and plans she was looking forward to this year.

Well, like so many of all our plans – that had to change. Her binder of ideas and Pinterest pins were set aside.

She made a few new requests for the day and a big one included a surprise cake from @laurannaebakingco I didn’t give any instructions. I ordered their ‘smash cake’ size and simply said it was for a birthday girl that “is all things colorful and fun, so whatever that looks like for whoever is making it.”

When we went to pick it up she couldn’t stop giggling at the sight of it and @joshuapaulsowiak made her feel so special as he packaged it up. On a day where she could have focused on the ‘could have beens’, I’m thankful for my front row seat to watch her choose to see the good and even giggle at the the beautifully unexpected.

Her original hope for her special day was to gather her friends to create beautiful things together. She couldn’t gather her sweet girlfriends to paint with her on her birthday, but she made the most of it and found some replacements. In the end, I think it worked out in a different kind of wonderfully memorable day for her.

I look like I am about to hurt that canvas!

It was a sweet day for a sweet girl. One of these days I sure hope we get to celebrate her day big with her friends. 12 is a pretty great age, so maybe that will be the year for her party prepping to pay off!

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