And MaraJade is 3!!

We seem to be having quite the luck this year with birthday parties. Mace's was good, Tristen's was a disaster, and now MaraJade's. We had already decided to combine her party with PJ's for family, but I hadn't really thought about friends. So in church on Sunday, PJ asked, "Aren't you having something for her birthday with her friends?" Oh, duh. So I made some awesome invites during Sacrament and handed them out after.

Cut to Tuesday morning, I'm starting to run around finishing up preparations, and I get a call from one of my friends - they won't be coming because her daughter has been throwing up. Just as we hang up, Jadey barfs on the couch. After a few minutes of debate, I decide to cancel. So I make all the calls, and she throws up again. Luckily, that's all that's happened so far today, so we're hoping it's a 24 hour thing - and that it doesn't spread to the rest of us. But if it does, we know it has a 18-24 hour incubation period, so we'll find out by Thursday morning.

Anyway, Auntie Linda stopped by with her present, as did MaraJade's buddy Mae, the boys and I finished her cupcakes and we had those for dessert. So it was still a Birthday.

And so, here are some of my favorite things about my Monster:

• She is such a girly girl - I waited through 2 wild and crazy boys to get my little princess, and boy is she!
• But she's also a little bruiser - no one is going to take advantage of this girl!
• How she takes my face in her hands and strokes it - just out of the blue
• How she leans on my shoulder and rubs my back - just out of the blue
• Watching her dance whenever there's a beat to follow - she just can't help it
• Listening to her sweet little voice as she bosses her brothers around
• Watching her organize her things - I love that one of my kids got this gene from me - I so get her!
• Her love of shoes - I swear, I did not influence her at all!
• Her ability and desire to have quiet time - the boys never just sat and colored quietly for an hour or looked at books

All said, I waited many years for this little girl, getting her here was a rough ride, but every moment has been worth it. She's a monster, she's a demon, but she's the sweetest, funniest, loviest one there ever was.

Happy Birthday, Jadey Jade!