Happy 11th Birthday Mikayla!

ELEVEN YEARS OLD!?!  I'm sorry, but that just does not compute.  I feel like it was just yesterday I was skipping into the hospital, sending my son away with my parents, feeling like I was betraying him by adding a sister into his life.  Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined having a daughter as incredible as Mikayla - morphing into not only a beautiful young lady, inside and out, but someone I love to spend time with and can easily see the relationship shift into friendship as she reaches adulthood and my time as her "mommy" ebbs into a new role.  Of course, she's not yet a teenager - so, those of you with older daughters, please don't snicker in the knowledge of "just you wait" - but, certainly, I'm enjoying her more and more as each year goes on.  (But, golly, I wouldn't mind stopping at any point too!!!)

As is the tradition (which we are all about in Sunriver an at Christmas time), Mikayla requests caramel rolls and bacon for breakfast.  They had slushy Sunny D as well, courtesy of the jug being kept outside overnight.

Bowling is also on the docket for Mikayla's birthday, and this year we set out to be there when the place opened as it was a day full of college football bowl games, particularly the Alamo Bowl which matched up Oregon State University and Texas in the afternoon.

Our family was first to get loaded into our vehicle, prepared to make sure that "Mikayla's event" didn't cause us to be delayed in getting back to the house to watch football.  Unfortunately, the GPS on both John's phone and in John's vehicle had a different plan in mind.  Travis had clued us into a shortcut to get to "Lava Lanes" which would have had us there in about 25 minutes.  The route we went on took 90 minutes!!!!

At one point, when we had contacted Travis and confessed our disorientation, we thought we were on the right track - only to discover where the GPS had taken us - to a private rural driveway on "Lava Lane Drive".  SERIOUSLY?!!!  We were all supposed to get there at 10am (everyone else did....) - we showed up at 11am.  Fortunately, the rest of the crew were all in merry moods, not sweating the delay at all, and in fact were all laughing out loud at the text I sent reporting the above information to them along the way.

(And, for the record, our family was in pretty good spirits about it all - the scenery was gorgeous and adventure kind of comical - we just wanted to make sure we got Mikayla bowling on her birthday).

Here's a pic of "Lava Lane Drive" - based on the tracks, the rabbits like to hang out there!

Finally, we made it to the Lava Lanes that we had in mind.

Upon arriving, Whitley thought the whole thing was funny too.

Brayden's mood/attitude when he's at Sunriver is exceptional.  He's truly in his happy place - able to just chill and play to his heart's content.  Whether it was because of that, or just because he was being a very good big brother - he was especially attentive to his little sister and gave us all sorts of moments of wishing that this would be how they always got along....

That's Michele's rear end - not mine - 

Sporting the really hot shoes the bowling alley supplied.

Dressed ready to cheer on Beaver football!

A sweet father/son moment.

What a great birthday lunch, huh?  She was thrilled - that's all that counts!

Father/daughter bonding moment.

 

Pointing to the "11" on her ball - indicating her 11th birthday.

We got and she tore into her presents.  A new Bible, as she'd lost her other one (resulting in tears), a fun "Create-Your-Own" Daytimer (right up her alley) and American Girl volleyball clothing.

We are just about to sing "Happy Birthday" to her with candles in her requested "Peach Kuchen".  The snow is falling - a very happy day all around!