Life these past few days has been filled to the brim as I endeavored to follow my daughter’s elaborate 10th birthday party plans. We went on an around-the-world trip within the walls of our home. The girls had tea with the “queen” (yours truly!) in London,

played Italian street games and enjoyed fine Italian cuisine complete with sparkling grape juice in real crystal wine glasses in Rome,

took off for Dublin where they found a delicious birthday cake at the end of the rainbow,

flew to Egypt and wrote their names in hieroglyphics,

jetted over to Jamaica for some tropical swimming in a toasty warm pool, and finally headed back to Dallas for some Enchanted movie fun.

Phew! Talk about preparation…this one was a doozy, but oh it was so worth it to see the smiles and the joy. I think the best part of the party was the grown-up participation. My husband found a recording of jet engines and played that every time we “flew” to a new locale. He also found authentic music and played that added ambiance. We made passports for each girl and “stamped” each one as we “arrived” at each destination. A girl turns ten only once, you know!

So Happy Birthday, my sweet girl. I love you completely just the way you are and am so proud of your strong faith and convictions!