Grace’s Birthday

Well its that time again in the Rolle house.  Of course, as big as our house is “that time” comes 8 times a year!  “That time” is Birthday time.

Grace, our oldest daughter turned 11 years old today!  So far it has proven to be a very interesting day indeed!  It all started last night when my wife asked me to make  a birthday card.  That was going to take a big chunk of time out of what I had planned, but some things just have been sacrificed for birthdays.  Soooooooo long about 1:30 in the morning (after all, I did have to wait until it was her birthday) I started making “the card”  I made a card with a picture of cows on the front and the inside read:  “Have an udderly wonderful day.”  Then it was time for the next step……

In the dark of night (OK, well morning) I went out the shed where Grace’s brand new Bicycle with hand brakes had been hidden amongst the other adult bikes for two days!  I walked that up the patio and hid it behind a wooden house that we have on the patio (Note:  There will be a post coming about the three day construction project on that house soon.).  When we were done with breakfast, I told Grace she had to go out on the patio and over behind the house so that I could “get things ready” inside for her surprise.   Well as daughters who really don’t want to do something are prone to do, she tired talking me into different options:

• Can I sit on the glider (on the deck) and read
• Do I have to put my shoes on

she just wasn’t getting it and was just a bit sour…. Hee Hee.

Finally, she got her shoes on, though reluctantly….. probably thinking, Oh boy…. what a birthday.  They’re making me go outside.”    Well as she rounded the side of the play house she saw the bike and began running back!  You’d have thought somebody or something scared her—but no!   She had to come back and retrieve her bicycle helmet.  Not only did she have a brand new bike with hand brakes, but she got an added bonus of 18 variable speeds!  If you lived in Woodbridge, VA you would understand just how necessary those are.

Here is a movie of Grace riding her brand new Bike:  I think she likes it.

I got a few still shots too.

Well, not to be left out, Andrew and Charity had a surprise for her too!  We only had one quick rehearsal, so when they didn’t get the ending of t he song quite right and Charity took it among herself to correct Andrew and then they did the ending over again…..Here is the video of that for your enjoyment.

You can’t see what’s in the bags, but they each gave her 4 Reeses peanut butter cups.

Now Grace and Mom are upstairs and in the process of making her Birthday cake!  Can’t wait until tonight after dinner (Which Grace has decided will be subs from Subway) so that we cut into the cake.  I might add another picture or two tonight with the cake cutting, etc.