Noelle is 11!

It was a joy to celebrate Noelle as she hit 11 years old! Since it's not a "party year" we didn't really have a party. Well, maybe we pretty much did - just more low key and relaxed. She invited Elia, Clementine, and Evelyn over for a sleep over. Goodness this is a sweet group of girls! They played games, ate pizza and salad, made polymer clay creations, and set up their sleeping bags for watching Freaky Friday in the den. They were all super excited that I had set 11:00 as bedtime! The morning meant cinnamon rolls, doing each other's hair, and packing up! It was a super sweet night, and I'm so thankful for good friends, who loved celebrating Noelle!

The birthday celebrating continued on Sat night with dinner at Tuscan Pig, which she had been planning on for several months. Monday was the actual birthday. We started with donuts and gifts. She was really surprised to get a badminton/volleyball net for the backyard! She also got several craft projects and a reading pillow. For the rest of the day, Luke was at work and we were working on vision. Over Christmas, Noelle realized and communicated to us that her vision was not all that great. She couldn't see the powerpoint slides at church. We knew she needed glasses. While she was not looking forward to wearing glasses, she was looking forward to being able to see! So, vision appointments and getting glasses was a fun thing to do on her bday. We ended the day with frosted brownies and a happy, satisfied, celebrated, adorable-in-glasses 11 year old!

At 11, Noelle loves to read. She'd been waiting for the 3rd Harry Potter, which Luke said she could read at 11. He agreed to let her start a few days before her bday, and she finished it in 2 days. She loves fantasy books, Harry Potter and Mysterious Benedict Society being at the top of her list. She's strong and athletic, quickly picking up any new physical skill. In the last month, it has been mountain biking and badminton. She's very shy and quiet, but also willing to enter into new situations pretty fearlessly. A basketball team with no one she knows? No problem. Will she be chatty? Unlikely. She's still demonstrating a great eye for making things look nice - from artwork to arranging a desk to putting an outfit together. She's my #1 adviser for all questions about whether something looks good. If it doesn't look good, she usually has a suggestion that I like! She's helpful, creative, hard-working, and smart. We love her so!