Three

A few days before Nora's birthday Grace reminded her that it was coming up and she begin jumping up and down yelling "my friends are coming, my friends are coming!"  I panicked for a minute because, well, I wasn't sure who her friends were and I wondered who she was expecting... maybe she thought she was having a "friend" birthday party like her big brother and sister.  But then Grace asked which friends were coming and she proceeded to name all of us followed by her Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles.

We started her birthday just like we did last year, with her big brother and sister finishing up making their gifts and so genuinely excited to share them with her.  Also, just like last year, she helped to make her own birthday cake.  This year she requested strawberry cake (and it really deserves a post of it's own).  After lunch ALL of her friends showed up and she was so thrilled (as usually I didn't get a good picture with everyone but just so we know for later, Grandma Lee, Papa, Katie, Kris, Grandma Sam, Grandpa Scott, Great Grandma Aleta, and Great Grandpa Glenn all came).  Oh I do love this age, but I have to admit, saying goodbye to two stung a bit (two is my favorite).  Thankfully so far three is adorable as well.  She spent a lot of time patiently sitting by her cake waiting until it was time to eat it.  Katie and I spent a good part of the afternoon, chopping vegetables, and simmering sauce (turning our tomato sauce into spaghetti sauce to be exact).  It was a dang good dinner we whipped out if we did say so ourselves (and we did)- spaghetti, cinnamon sweet potatoes, rye bread with summer pesto, fruit and salad. I was once again reminded that I love cooking for a house full of people, especially with my sis.

She decided to finish the second half of her piece of cake for her "birthday party tomorrow".  I hope she's not too disappointed when her friends don't show up.  Well I guess a few of us will be here.