Lydia turns 6!!

Lydia had a wonderful sixth birthday. She woke up early in the morning and opened one of her presents, a book about sewing projects. Abe and I let her peruse it while we went for a swim. Then we came home and Abe, at Lydia’s request, made her one of his special breakfasts. Lydia opened her gifts from Nana, among which was one very special Chinese dress. Lydia LOVES everything about China, and so this made her extremely happy.

Ammon sizes up Lydia's balloons.
Ammon sizes up Lydia’s balloons.
He decides to get closer to the prize.
He decides to get closer to the prize.
Finally, he absconds with the balloons.
Finally, he absconds with the balloons.

After breakfast the girls played. The tree cutters also came and cut down both of our dead cherry trees. That added excitement to the morning, especially for Ammon.

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Then the girls and I headed to the Grand America in Salt Lake for high tea. This was the highlight of the day for everyone, and, according to Lydia, it was her favorite thing about her birthday. The girls thought everything was magical. As we were eating, Lydia sighed, “Mom, can we eat like this every day?” I wish we could too, Honey!

On our walk from our car to the hotel, the girls enjoyed watching butterflies and the flowers.
On our walk from our car to the hotel, the girls enjoyed watching butterflies and the flowers.
High Tea.
High Tea.

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This was a magical tea. It is some sort of Jasmine pod that starts out as a closed pod and, over the course of an hour, opens into a beautiful flower--and turns the water into tea! This is the pod when it was already starting to bloom.
This was a magical tea. It is some sort of Jasmine pod that starts out as a closed pod and, over the course of an hour, opens into a beautiful flower–and turns the water into tea! This is the pod when it was already starting to bloom.
This is the fully bloomed pod.
This is the fully bloomed pod.

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This is the toy shop window in the hotel. We went to the toy shop afterward.
This is the toy shop window in the hotel. We went to the toy shop afterward.
Toy shop.
Toy shop.
The toy shop again.
The toy shop again.

Then we headed home and picked up some cupcakes from the Sweet Tooth Fairy. After that, the girls played at home with a neighbor child while I made Shepherd’s pie for dinner (again at Lydia’s request). At dinner we all said something we loved about Lydia, and afterward she grinningly declared she wanted to say something nice about each one of us. And she did! She has such a tender heart and such loving instincts.

After pie we sang to Lydia and she opened up the rest of her presents. Just before bedtime, her sweet church teacher came by and dropped off a present for Lydia.

It was a wonderful day, and I loved seeing Lydia smile so much. Birthdays and holidays are exhausting, but they are also maybe my favorite part of being a mom. I just love seeing my kids delighted and excited at all of the fun of life.

Happy birthday, sweet Lydia! We love you to the moon and back!