technically a pre-teen??

She sure seems to be getting to that stage anyway if she isn't technically referred to as a pre-teen. I am not sure when you are allowed to call a girl that. Frankly I think Lilly seems a little pre-teen to me but I don't think at 5 she qualifies.

ANYWAY! Maddy turned 11 last Sunday. And yes it was kinda awesome that our birthdays landed on Easter this year. I only remember one other time that my birthday was on Easter and I think I must have been around 7 or something. I decided that since our birthday landed on Easter that we would do alittle bit of celebrating the Friday before since Easter was TOTALLY going to upstage any birthdays. So she woke up to a decorated door area and a present. She was SO surprised. Dustin and I had picked out a new outfit for her to wear to school. She looked to cute!

The last couple of "present" holidays have been interesting with Maddy. She is definitely at that stage where she doesn't really know what she wants. She doesn't want clothes yet but she doesn't want "toys" either. So this year after prying and prying to try and have some idea of what she wanted (discluding a cell phone and a laptop) we decided that generic was the way to go. We picked out a few different gift cards for her and gave her a wallet and a new purse and a card letting her know that daddy and I were taking her out for a special birthday dinner and shopping spree, just the three of us. She was so excited! And we had so much fun a couple of nights later. We went to the mall and just shopped with her. She was literally running through the mall! We had such a good time with her and she is really growing up and becoming such a fun person to be around. We love you Maddy!

She is having her birthday party this Friday, a sleepover none the less. Wish me luck!

And as for my birthday! Dustin took me out to a really beautiful restaurant in Portland, The Portland City Grill. It is on the 30th floor of a building downtown and it was really breathtaking. We ordered WAY to much food and talked and had a really great time. It was so delicious! I think it might be my new favorite restaurant. Thanks for a wonderful birthday date Dustin. I love you!