Eleven

trying out her new mountain bike

Kendall is eleven today! We are having a family BBQ/birthday party this coming weekend but today we surprised her with a new bike, fixed her choice of dinner (lassagna & garlic bread), and went swimming down at the river with one of her best friends along to sleepover afterwards.

Summer birthdays are so easy.

In honor of becoming a tweener, I decided to interview Kendall, with the hopes that her future self will find her eleven-year-old self just as cute and silly and sweet as we do now.

Me: happy birthday, sista! How do you feel now that you are no longer just a regular ol' ten year old?
Kendall: I feel like I should act older and maybe... mature.
Me: how so?
Kendall: not play with barbies...
Me: barbies are for all ages!
Kendall (smiles in relief): I know!
(phew, that was a close one)

Me: what do you look forward to this next year?
Kendall: school, 5th & 6th grade kids camp (bible camp she just went to last weekend and loved so much she's already excited for next year), Breakthrough (youth group conference), older kid activities.

Me: what are your current favorite things to do?
Kendall: dress up, play barbies, swim, play on the Wii, watch movies, and read.
Me: favorite movie?
Kendall: Tangled
Me: favorite food?
Kendall: pasta & chinese food.
Me: just like your mama :) Are you a dessert lover like me too?
Kendall: yes, except not when it's too sugary.
Me: I see I have work to do.

Me: what do you like best about yourself?
Kendall: my hair and how short I am.
Me: I mean your personality.
Kendall: You could have said that! I like that I'm friendly and it's easy for me to make friends. I'm a people person.
(This is the truth! Girl never meets a stranger.)

Me: anything you think you should work on?
Kendall: not lying, because sometimes I lie. Loving, because sometimes it's hard to love.
Me: Amen.

Me: describe your relationship with the Lord.
Kendall: God talks to me and I'll talk to Him. He tells me He loves me a lot and I tell Him I love Him too. I'm working on building up my faith, because it's easy to say you can do the impossible but it's not easy to actually believe you can. If you have the faith the size of a mustard seed you can move mountains and I'm about a half mustard seed. (she is referring to Matthew 17:20)
Me: how old are you again?!

Me: what do you think you'll be doing in 10 years? Tell us your hopes and dreams, girlfriend!
Kendall: I want to have a job at a cafe or a restaurant.
Me: please tell me there's more.
Kendall: I want to still be playing the piano. I want to live on my own, visit my family in New Zealand, and... that's all.
Me: we need to work on some college goals.

Me: now this is important... who's your favorite parent?
Kendall: I have to pick?!! Buries head in pillow.
Me: say no more, it's perfectly clear that it's me.
Kendall: giggles

Happy birthday, Kendall

I love you.