Eight is great!

Frances turned 8 this week!  She is in second grade, which I think is just the best grade! She is excited to learn new things and see her friends. And she is super excited about her birthday this year. She had her own countdown and informed me every morning how many days left until she turned 8.  He actual birthday was on Wednesday, so she got to wear a special shirt to school that day.

 

She chose to go to the Wood Grill Buffet for dinner because she had heard that they have a chocolate fountain (where she heard that, I have no idea!). We had a great dinner and coated a few things in chocolate before we left; including her shirt and all three kiddo's faces!

We saved her birthday party until Sunday so we could have some time to celebrate. My brothers, sister-in-law, and parents came, as well as Ken's dad.  She loved her cake about as much as I loved making it.

She, of course, requested the ballerina piece for herself.  Everybody said, "Are you really going to give her that whole piece!?!?!" But you only turn 8 once, right?  Plus I knew she would never eat all of it (which she didn't).  And Benjamin just nibbled on scarfed down the rest!
She got some new ballerina sheets for her bed, new clothes, some great horse books, a few toys and a Barbie doll picked out by her favorite elder brother. (Benjamin "picked out" an outfit.)

My parents stayed at a great B&B while in town and when we went to visit we snapped a few family shots.  The outtakes are pretty hilarious, but this one turned out pretty good.