Years ago when Hallie turned 12 years old, I bought all the supplies for a fun glow party. After the party, everything went into a bin and we’ve been using it ever since. We’ve used it on New Years, we used it for Hunter’s 12th birthday, we’ve had friends borrow the box-o-supplies. And this weekend we pulled the glow party box out for Bennett on his 12th birthday.
We played the same games we created for Hallie’s party all those years ago. Our large bin of tennis balls has only grown larger (they glow the best under a black light!) and there are endless amounts of games you can come up with tennis balls and we’ve come up with several. In fact, before the party started they made up their own game and were playing dodge ball and pegging eachother with a glow-in-the-dark balls! The possibilities are endless. 🙂
The kids loved the highlighter trick – they were all skeptical it would actually show up in the dark but they had fun decorating their faces…and arms…and legs.
Bennett said his favorite game was the life-size hungry, hungry hippo. We played it multiple times, but he would have been happy if we played that all night.
Just as I expected – the glow party was a hit yet again. It never disappoints and Cannon is already anticipating his 12-year-old glow party.
We packaged everything back in the bin and it’s safely stored until we need it again. It’s the party that just keeps on giving.
When you’re a kid (and sometimes even as adults) you like your birthday to last as long as possible and Briggs was celebrating from sun up to sun down.
Birthday mornings always start with the birthday bucket – best way to start the day.
We snagged him from school for a little lunch date and try as he may, Steve could not convince him to choose something besides Mcdonalds.
After school, I went to Hallie’s tennis match while Steve took these boys to Krazy air and out to dinner.
When everyone returned home for the evening, the party kept on rolling!
His grandparents came over, church teachers stopped by, he talked to his other grandparents on facetime, cousins sent video messages, friends sent video messages – he loved all the attention from the day.
And now we won’t hear about his birthday for at least another 6 months!
Last year, Steve and I were out of town for a wedding on his birthday and he has not let us live it down! I can do one hundred things right and he will inevitably remember my mis-step. Thank heavens we are in town for his big day.
Here’s a snapshot of Briggs:
His nicknames are Briggsy boy, Briggers and Briggerton. Restaurant of choice is McDonalads.
He always has a ball in his hands or at his feet – and Hunter is always a willing partner.
Being the youngest – he’s used to a house full of kids and he hasn’t quite mastered the art of playing by himself. If his brothers are gone, he is at a loss as to what he should do.
He is very independent and doesn’t ask for help even when he probably should.
He has several friends in our neighborhood and his day is infinitely better if he’s with them.
He’s learning spanish at school and it’s fun to hear him try and speak with his brothers.
He is not-so patiently waiting until it’s his turn to start sports.
His teacher said he’s a talker in class and I believe her because he’s a talker at home.
He has the vocabulary and humor of an older child and uses words like “perhapsly”.
He loves the Phoenix Suns – Devin Booker is his favorite. He loves ASU football and spends a good portion of the year asking if we have a game to watch this Saturday.
He is our forever caboose and his siblings just want to make sure he doesn’t end up spoiled and soft. 🙂 Aren’t siblings the best!
I have spent the last couple years celebrating my half birthday in June (because December is crazy enough as it is). But Steve informed me earlier this year we would be celebrating my real birthday since it is a milestone year: 40 years. Steve worked so hard to make it a special day for me and I can’t say I was very helpful.
He kept asking me what I wanted to do for my big day. The truth is – if I was choosing my perfect day – I would be at Lake Powell on a houseboat. That’s what I would’ve chosen for my birthday. But that was unrealistic. So the next best thing was celebrating with family!
My brother and his family have made a tradition of coming and spending the week after Christmas with us. I have another brother who hasn’t been to Arizona for a visit in 6 years so they decided the week after Christmas sounded great. So I brought in my 40th year with my two older brothers and their families (and foreign exchange student) and it was the best day.
We started the day with a girls shopping trip to Nordstrom Last Chance.
After shopping, the adults went to our friend’s gourmet milkshake shop/escape room. If you have not been to the Soda Jerk and Nemesis Club up in Scottsdale, you are missing out! They have created an experience unlike anything you’ve probably witnessed in an escape room. I don’t know how they came up with this concept, but they truly have mastered their craft. Last year, we did the Evil Robot room with Steve’s brother, and this time we did the Mogollon Monster and it was so fun and pushed our ability to problem solve.
I arrived home and was surprised to see our home had been turned into a casino for the night. The kids did such a great job of transforming the space – I knew we were in a for an eventful night.
But before we pulled out all the chips and cards, we enjoyed the early evening outside playing pickleball, cornhole, spikeball, skateboarding…etc.
Steve thoughtfully curated some meaningful gifts including a very special project he worked on with the kids which included letters, thoughts and pictures from some of my closest friends and family. I’m not typically a words of affirmation kind of person, but hearing how I’ve touched someone’s life or how I make them feel…it’s gold! They are the words you want to read over and over again when you’re having a rough day! I’m so grateful for everyone that contributed, it was a beautiful reminder of the wonderful people who have weaved in and through my life over the years.
After gifts, it was casino time. Everyone received a set amount of chips and and a designated amount of time and we got busy. As the time drew close to an end, the level of excitement increased significantly and so did the sound levels. Everyone was making one last ditch effort to earn chips and there were so many who were neck and neck until the buzzer rang. Sadly, only two people won gift cards, but we all walked away having the best time. And it was a good lesson to everyone that the house always wins and bluffing will only get you so far. 🙂
I crawled into my bed that night so grateful for Steve and all his effort to make the day special and for family who traveled so far to spend the day with me. It wasn’t Lake Powell, but it was up there!
I recently spoke in church and I shared the story about Hallie as a baby. How, by no fault of her own, she caused me to shed so many tears. (Read the whole story here and here).
And yet I look at her now and I’m amazed we’ve come so far. She is beauty and light and it’s hard to believe I ever wanted to give her back!
Here’s a birthday snapshot of 17 years:
She loves wearing jewelry. She’s excited for next semester when she can return to a jewelry making class at school.
She is social and we don’t see much of her on Friday and Saturday nights.
Because she drives herself, I’ve been missing out on drivetime with her. Just the other day I showed up at her tennis practice after dropping off soccer because I don’t get to see her play nearly as often as I used to.
She has a surprisingly clean car for a teenager.
Although her car is clean – her room is not. Ever. Ever.
She loves to wakesurf and she can hold her own behind the boat. If asked, Lake Powell is her favorite vacation.
If given the chance she will sleep until noon on Saturday and come home after church on Sunday and sleep some more.
She’s been working for her aunt using inDesign, laying out photo books. She’s also worked on my blog books which is amazingly helpful.
She’s chatty at midnight and she’ll sit in the chair in my office and talk about her night. Some of my very favorite hours.
She’s thoughtful and I have received many random texts of gratitude or admiration and they always make my day.
She is not confrontational, even when she probably should be. She is tender and kind hearted.
Her phone screen time is minimal and we have to remind her to text friends back.
Being raised with four brothers, she’s learning how to be adventurous when maybe it isn’t what she would prefer.
She loves watching sports – especially the Suns.
She participates when a lot of girls back away. If people are jumping in a cold lake, she’s in. Game of spikeball, she’s in. Don’t challenge her in ping-pong, she just may beat you.
She’s loyal. She looks out for friends and helps the underdog – and sometimes she is the underdog and someone looks out for her.
Her problem solving skills could use some work, something we’re working on before she leaves for college! 🙂
She always has her nails painted and usually wears earrings – even when she’s wakesurfing.
She’s 17. Not sure where all the days went in all those years, but she is a delight. So glad we didn’t end up giving her back when she was a baby. 😉 I would have missed out on a beautiful human being. The older she gets, the closer I am to her and the harder its going to be to let her leave our home. Life is better with Hallie.
