Six

Jane's birthday crown and necklace from school. Her teacher is the best!

It's been a few years since we had a friend birthday party for Jane, so I decided to make it happen this year. We had a doll party and each girl was invited to bring along their favorite doll. When the girls arrived, they dressed their dolls in party clothes (the adorable skirts were made by my mother-in-law). After the girls dressed their dolls, they had a few options for play and crafting. The could make beaded necklaces, decorate picture frames, style their dolls hair at the salon or have a snack at the cafe. Some of the girls were hesitant when they arrived, but they quickly warmed up and seemed to have the best time. This is such a sweet age and these girls were so much fun!

During the party, I took pictures of each girl with their doll. We gave them the pictures for the frames they decorated during the party.  Here is the birthday girl. 

Cate & Kit

Lizzie and her baby boy

Jane requested a cake and was very specific about the chocolate frosting. Trever is the baker in our house, so I let him take the lead. The cake was delicious!

After party sillies with her friend Sam. Jane and Sam were in TK together last year.

Silly sisters

All of her friends were so sweet and generous with their gifts. I am so glad we opened presents while everyone was here (I originally thought we would wait until they left). The girls were so excited to share their cards and gifts and were so cute. Love these cards! The artwork is so colorful and beautiful and I love the messages.

Jane's reaction to the Barbie house Grandma made for her. It was pretty amazing!

I was a little stressed about the party but I think it went really went. Most importantly Jane seemed to have a great time with her friends and was truly in her element. I am so grateful to my mom and my in-laws for helping things run so smoothly.

FLASH FORWARD TO HER ACTUAL BIRTHDAY:

Jane requested crepes for breakfast, so Trever cooked up a batch before she headed off to school. Her teacher was so sweet to greet her at the door and gave her the cute necklace you see in the pictures below. Jane had a chance to decorate the crown during class. I love her colorful crown!

These next few pictures were taken after school. Jane is having a lot of fun with action shots right now and it's a sure way to get a great smile out of her. She is such a joy and is so full of life. She LOVES school, loves making friends and is game to try almost anything new. Right now she is loving soccer and is also excited about her after school Spanish class. She will be picking up dance once soccer is over and has also talked about ceramics and tae kwon do. Oh my!

Jane loves to be silly (as you can see in these pictures). She also enjoys being on stage and is not afraid to put on a show. She enjoys dressing up with her sisters and is happy to put on a dance performance for any visitor that is willing to watch. We have had many performances in our house and I am sure there will be many more.

Jane continues to be very independent and if there is something she can do by herself she is happy to do it. This past year she learned to tie her own shoes. Although it can be a frustrating process at times, she has been determined to figure it out AND she has! Jane loves to help in the kitchen and I have even let her use a small knife this year (under my super vision of course). She wants to pour her own milk, comb her own hair and has declared that she no longer needs help brushing her teeth because she is 6 (apparently our doctor told her this last year). She enjoys picking out her own clothes and has a fun sense of style. She loves color and also likes to accessorize. 

Although there are many things I love about Jane, one of my favorite things about Jane is that she is compassionate. She is sensitive and very aware of those around her and how they are feeling. She is inclusive and is quick to notice when someone needs a friend. She truly enjoys making other people happy. She is also a great sisters and is a HUGE help to me! She is always willing to help her sisters (if they will let her). 

This past year with Jane has been so fun. It was easy to send her to kindergarten this year because she was so excited to go. She loves to learn and be social and it has been so fun to chat with her about all of the fun things she is doing each day. Jane also loves going to church and learning about Jesus. She asks good questions and is a thinker. I love this about her!

Jane we love you and are so blessed to have you in our family. You bring us so much joy and happiness. We can't wait to see what the next year will bring!