Happy Birthday, Miss Independent

It's no coincidence that celebrating independence and this girl go hand-in-hand every year! This year we wised up and held her party on the weekend before the big holiday, so people could actually attend. She wanted a swim party, so we held it at the neighborhood pool. Unfortunately, they had just dipped into the pool when distant thunder rumbled. And for a lifeguard, that means a 30-minute person-free pool! Just what you want at the beginning of a two-hour party... So they ate some snacks and waited as patiently as they could, even playing on the playground in their swimsuits. Then, they could finally get back to swimming and had a blast.

We're not supposed to have parties at our pool unless you go through a reservation process, which is ridiculous, so we headed back to our house for presents and cake. They had fun, even with the awkward thunder-break, and no one wanted to leave. Sweet girls! Most were from her class last year, and hopefully we'll see them again in class next year!

A friend has a side-business of making cakes, so she made us these pretty swirl cupcakes in Hadley's favorite colors. They were beautiful, but also delicious!

When her actual birthday rolled around, she requested the famous chocolate cake again and helped me make it. 9 years old for this big girl! She didn't really have any requests for her birthday other than the party and cake. She's still saving money for her first apartment, though she would also accept Harry Potter legos or books.

We had a low key 4th of July this year with just a few sparklers and fireworks at home.

Then the kids and I ventured out to catch the city's firework show. Happy birthday, 'Merica!