Briella is 5

 Briella helped me pick out what cake she wanted and then we went shopping for jelly bellies (the most exciting part for me).  We had to do some research and ended up buying M&M's which were really fun to put on the cake, but melted into the frosting after a few hours?!?

Briella has been anticipating turning 5 for several months and keeps telling people "I'm 5 now!"  She was looking in the mirror that morning and said, "I don't look 5 Mom . . . maybe I'm still 4?!?"  She was measuring how much of her face she can see in the mirror, so I think she was planning to be a few inches taller when she woke up as a 5 year old.  Funny!

Five days later my sweet girl had her first day of school.  She was possibly more excited about this day than turning 5.  I was rushing around getting it all together and asked her to grab my shoes for me.  She brings them to me and says, "Here Mom, we are kind of late!"  It was at least 10 minutes before I had planned to leave.  She was literally bouncing around, giggling.  She jabbered all the way to school about how she loves to learn and her favorite thing about school is learning, not just playing and how God loves to see us learn about Him (all things we have been teaching her). And then we walked in the building and she froze. She clung to me and didn't want me to leave.  We walked around the classroom but I couldn't get her to walk far enough away from me to take a picture of her!  When the bell rang and the kids lined up to go to their classrooms, I gave her a hug and walked away.  When I peaked behind me she was holding her teacher's hand, no tears (big relief for me!).

 I am not sure who was more excited for 4:00, Gideon or myself.  We walked to the end of the street about 15 minutes early and here is our favorite Kindergartener getting off the bus :)

 

She looked SO tired, but was smiling and had lots of stories to tell.  Sounds like they had 2 birthday treats (including hers), she can't remember anyone's names, she got to rest on her new owl pillow (thanks Grandma B) right by the teacher's desk, she ate all of her lunch like I said, she didn't need to go to the bathroom, one boy had to sit by the teacher because he was getting a little wild even when she told him to stop (the teacher, not Briella . . . I think), she stood by the fence during recess because there were too many kids going all over, some boy brought her back to her classroom because PE was scary, and she was not naughty all day because her name stayed on green.  It was so fun to hear about her day and I am so thankful for a Christian school to send her to and I prayed for her, her teacher, her class, the school all day long as I thought about her and missed her :) 

PS: Uncle Nate, I am sure there are K's scared of you, right?!? A big guy in a big gym!  I told her she will be staying next week and it is not scary!!  Any tips??