Austyn's 9 . . .

  I can't believe my baby girl is 9 years old. Seems like just yesterday she was 5. Now she's in 3rd grade and getting so big. It won't be long until she is taller than me. She already wears a bigger shoe size than my Aunt. Austyn is loving 3rd grade. She likes her teachers everything about school. She is playing soccer right now and getting really excited for volleyball season to start later this month. Volleyball is her favorite sport and she gets to finally be on an actual team this year, instead of the little clinics she's done in the past. Austyn has also taken up the fiddle. She had a man come to her school last year and teach them all fiddle for a week and she fell in love with it. We've been going to lessons ever since. She will have her first recital in November. I bet it will be very cute. 

  Austyn continues to be a sweet and kind little girl. She is so silly in her own way and is just her own person. She always makes the right decisions even when its hard and we can always trust what she says. I love watching her play soccer, or play her fiddle, or just anything she is involved in. She loves to back and help cook dinner. She's getting so good with baking that all we need to help with is the oven part. I also love that she bakes with my mom and that it is their special thing together. 

  We are all so lucky to have her. She brightens up the room with her smile and her thoughtfulness. It's such a joy being her mom and watching her learn and become such a wonderful girl. 

Austyn had a sleepover for her Birthday party. 

She wanted to do a mummy wrap race.

This year Austyn did all the decorating by herself. All 

I did was move the ladder around where ever

she told me she wanted it and my mom handed her which

ever decoration she wanted. 

Her Birthday crew. 

Here they are decorating their candy bags for the 

piñata 

She's is such a great help

And she loves all things girl. Clothes, nails, make-up, jewelry.

Her special Birthday breakfast and traditional decorations

Can't get more American than this. Eating cherries

while watching the 4th of July parade. 

Big catch of the day

Wearing our Mexico hats.

She fell asleep 15 minutes before midnight.