Maya is 6!

Our bubbly blondie turned 6 on December 9th. She is such a wonderful person and a joy to have in our home. She is loving kindergarten and learning how to do math and read. Her teacher tells us she is very bright and advanced for her age. She still loves to draw and color and enjoys improving her artistic skills. She is a great buddy to both Brianna and Dallin, but also has moments when she prefers to be alone. She is my favorite six year old in the whole world!

This year for her birthday we did a celebration with family. Her birthday landed on a Sunday (which is the same day of the week on which she was born; one time around the calendar!) and we let her open one gift from us before church. She got a Baby Alive Doll, which she named Winnie. She loves pretending to be a mommy: feeding her, changing her, giving her pretend baths, and putting her to bed. She says, "Being a mommy is such hard work!" Yes it is! You can see here that Ryan was really enjoying this experience, haha!

That evening we were joined by Papa, Nana, and Holly. We started off the festivities by decorating gingerbread houses and eating appetizers that Maya had requested for her party, namely sliced French baguette with cranberry cinnamon goat cheese on it. Yummmmm.

Precision is key when applying rooftop accents.

They all turned out very cute!

After we finished our gingerbread houses we sat down for a delicious dinner. Maya requested Coconut Caramel Chicken, and I served it with green beans, blackberries, and rolls. After dinner it was time for gifts!

Finally, cake and ice cream. This year she asked for a banana cake. I found a recipe for a layer banana cake (essentially banana bread) with browned butter cream cheese frosting. It was a hit! Of course the colorful flame candles added just the perfect magical essence.

After cake it was time for bed, and I think everyone had a great night's sleep.

Happy birthday, little Maya!