It's great to be 8!

Our Allison is 8 years old!  How we love this little girl.  Sure, she can drive us NUTS sometimes, but she is such a tender and sweet girl.  Allison loves to ride her bike, paint with water colors, play Lego Harry Potter on the PS3 and play the piano.  This year, she started voice lessons with her Aunt Charlotte.  (Charlotte did us a huge favor because she doesn't like to take kids as young as Allison...but Charlotte, (and Casey and I) was anxious to hear her singing voice.)  I am told she is doing really great..though she refuses to sing for me.  Allison is our crazy child.  She is so very goofy...kind of like I imagine her dad must have been at her age.

Allison is going to be baptized next month and we are so proud of her.  Because we only have birthday parties with friends every 4 years (age 4, 8, 12, and 16...we just have too many kids to do a friend party every year), Allison is anxiously planning her party.  It is not for a few more days so on her actual birthday, Grandma Walburger invited us all over for dinner and cake!

Grandma Walburger made us a cake that was coverd in chocolate candy.  Since Allison and I practically share a birthday (they are only 2 days apart), I got sung to as well but Allison blew out the candles!

For her birthay, Allison got a brand new bike.  She is the most amazing bike rider.  On our ten mile ride last Saturday, she led the entire way, never complained and beat us all back to the car.  And that is riding a bike with a tire that is slightly "taco-ed."  (Yes, I may have backed over it with the car.)  She was positively thrilled to get a brand new purple bike!  Happy birthday to our Ally-pal.

Here is week 5!!