On the 18th we celebrated Kenedy's 17th birthday. 17! Every year if baffles me how old my kids are getting and every year I think time needs to slow down just a little bit so I can catch a breath. But here we are with a 17 year old and life just keeps getting crazier and busier.
Kenedy had cheer practice in the morning and while she was gone Kefford and I went to Target to find some last minute birthday gifts. She really didn't give us a wish list and so we were thinking we would just get her a gift card to Target and be done with it. While we were browsing around we came across a book that I knew Kenedy would love. For the past year Kenedy has been obsessed with the Broadway musical Hamilton, she has never seen it but she knows all about it and listens to and sings the music non-stop. In the book section of Target we found a book all about the making of Hamilton and also inside information and I think it even has a script in it. I was super excited about this find and we got that for her plus a gift card so she could go and pick out some new clothes or shoes or whatever. She also got an iPhone, something she has been wanting for a long time. Recently Kefford brother Jeremy upgraded to the new iPhone and he was willing to part with his old one and give it to Kenedy which was really cool of him.
We gave her the gifts when she got home from practice and to say she was excited about all of them is an understatement.
Kenedy wanted to go to McCall with a couple of friends for her birthday weekend but with all of the snow days they had to go to school on President's day to make up the lost days and so the three day weekend she wanted in McCall was not going to workout. We decided to postpone the McCall friends getaway until spring break. Alison dropped off Kenedy's birthday present and she gave Kenedy a pizza box with a cute "Receipt" and money and a fake pizza inside. She gave Kenedy enough money to treat her friends to a pizza dinner when they were in McCall and then also gave her 17 dollars for her 17th year. It was such a cute and creative gift, we all loved it!
For dinner Kenedy wanted homemade chicken and broccoli lemon fettuchini Alfredo with garlic bread. Avynlea helped me make it and it turned out so delicious. I used to buy the jars of Alfredovsauce but fell in love with it homemade a couple of years ago and will never buy the jar stuff again.
Instead of her small birthday bash in McCall with a few friends Kenedy decided she wanted a nerf gun war with a bunch of her friends. She wanted it here at our house and I told her no way was that going to happen. Kelsey said that they could use some of his empty office space for her war in Emmett and so that is what she did. I think she had about 16 friends show up and they all headed to Emmett with their guns and darts in tow. Kefford took the kids with him and I stayed behind to enjoy the peace and quiet.
After a couple of hours they came back and had cupcakes and ice-cream. Kenedy said she wanted chocolate cupcakes and so I made a batch of those and then made a batch of funfetti ones so that there would be enough with a variety to feed all of her friends.
After the treats Kenedy opened up presents that her friends brought. Anna's Mom is a beauty pageant director and Anna gifted Kenedy with a tiara from her Mom's collection. It is really pretty and I was a little bit wishing it were given to me...maybe Kenedy will let me borrow it someday.
She got a lot of fun stuff and after the presents I think they played some games and hung out having fun. It was a good birthday and Kenedy had a lot of fun.
A couple of days later Kenedy got some extra birthday fun in the mail. Whitney sent her a redbox gift card and a free ice-cream card from A&W. Whitney is always so good to remember my kids birthdays and sent=d them a little something, my kids and I really appreciate and love her for it.
My Mom sent Kenedy 17 dollars in birthday cash and giant sized candy bars of her favorite chocolate. So delicious! Kenedy was really excited about the birthday love!
Kenedy's Favorite Things
Food: Pasta
Dessert: Ice Cream
Candy: Symphony Bar
Book: The Host
Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean
Church Song: Nearer my God to Thee
Radio Song: Heathens by 21 Pilots
Friend: Anna, McKoy and Wilson
Scripture Story: Stripling Warriors
Color: Aquamarine
Thing to do: Cheer
School Subject: History
5 Things I Love about Kenedy
1. I love Kenedy's devotion to and testimony of the Gospel. I know she has a firm testimony of prayer and works really hard to keep that relationship with her Heavenly Father open. She has a stake calling in our ward right now and is part of the YWAP stake committee. She goes to all of the Ward Conferences in our stake and helps teach the youth the Gospel. She also has a desire to serve a mission and while I would miss her tremendously I think she would be an amazing missionary and I love that this is one of her goals.
2. Kenedy is really beautiful but she is also really smart. She takes Honor and AP classes and gets really good grades. I am impressed with how hard she works in school and love hearing her talk about what she is learning. Her favorite subject is History which I think is really cool. She wants to be an elementary school teacher when she grows up and I think she will be an amazing teacher.
3. I love that Kenedy comes to me and talks to me about things going on in her life. She was always more into being with her friends and talking to them about life's miseries but as she has gotten older she has started coming to me more and it makes me so happy. I see a new/different relationship between us starting to develop that is headed towards friendship and that is exciting and makes me really happy.
4. I love that she is so into cheer and I love being able to go and watch her compete and cheer her on. She has grown so much in the sport and it is fun to watch and see her improvements. She is beautiful and friendly and excited and she just shines when she is cheering.
5. I love that Kenedy has her life goals and she does not let distractions get in her way. She is determined and I cannot wait to watch her life story unfold!