Ryen's 8th Birthday

Ryen is 8 years old.  She isn’t 7 or 7 ¾ as she has been telling people for months now.  It happened right before my very eyes, but so quickly it seems almost impossible.  I realize how cliché this is, but it honestly feels like only a day ago that I studied her sweet little face as she slept peacefully in my arms.  I remember not being able to stop the tears of gratitude, but trying my best not to let them fall on her because I didn’t want her to wake up from the sweet dreams only babies have. She took it easy on us those first few days.  She was an angel given to us by another angel.  Over the next few weeks, months, and years she transformed into a curious infant, a trouble-sniffing toddler, and a full-blown hooligan.  There aren’t many places we weren’t kicked out of during Ryen’s first 3 or 4 years of life.  Ry left her mark on every place and person we ever came upon. She is larger than life and has grown into one of the most remarkable people I have ever known.  She is as kind as she is vivacious.  People always tell us how joyful she is and how contagious her energy and love are.  It's true.  You can't not smile when you are around Ryen.  In the last eight years, this child has blessed our lives more than words can express. 

We originally planned a HUGE carnival for Ryen's birthday, but we didn't want to have it on a school night or on the same day as her baptism.  Every time I tried to mail her invitations, something stopped me.  As luck would have it, Sonny haphazardly mentioned that we had enough frequent flyer miles and hotel reward points to have a nearly free vacation during the same time as Ryen's party.  So, we gave her the choice of Florida or carnival and she excitedly chose FL.  I saved all of her party things so we can have the carnival next year.

Ry told us this year that she had the happiest birthday anyone could ever have.  I took cupcakes in to her class and decorated her locker while I was there.  When she got off the bus, her first present was in the driveway waiting for her.  A week earlier, she picked out a bike that she just LOVED and I came up with some reason or another why we couldn't get it.  I'll never forget watching her squeal and scream as she threw her backpack on the ground and ran as fast as her legs would carry her to her new bike. It was priceless!  She eventually came inside to a whole other pile of presents, but I made her wait to open them until Sonny got home from work.  After she opened her presents, we took her to Texas Roadhouse- which is one of her very favorite restaurants.  She wears her cowgirl boots every time and chooses Taylor Swift on the jukebox.  She is so funny!  The whole time we were there, she just kept waiting and waiting as if she was going to explode.  She wanted to sit on that birthday saddle while everyone shouted "yeeeehaw" so badly!  She must have told our waitress 5 times that it was her birthday and even went back and told the hostess just for good measure.  Finally, it was time and she was the happiest girl in the world.  They brought ice cream for all of the kids and all was blissful in Ryen Land.  On our way home, she lost another tooth which was the perfect magical ending to her perfectly magical day.