Andy & Sherrie's Place: Another Teenager in the Thuernagle House!

Rachel turned 13 this year!

We wanted to make her first teenager birthday extra special, because, you only turn 13 once!

Her birthday was on a Monday, so Friday, I emailed each of her teachers and told them it was going to be her birthday and asked them to a little something for her in class. So each one of her teachers had the classes sing to her, or announced that it was her birthday, etc.

I also emailed her school counselor, Ms. Coffey, who is a fun, fun lady and who also likes to hang out with Rachel's lunch table during lunch. The kids at Rachel's lunch table are always doing goofy things and Ms. Coffey likes to take videos and show me. So I asked her if she could arrange for the lunch table to do something as a surprise at lunch. When Rachey walked into the lunch room, her table started singing, and Rachey said that most of the lunchroom joined in. She was grinning from ear to ear when she told me about it.

I owe a few of her friends big time...before Rachey's big day I gave them each a brown paper bag that had one of Rachel's favorite candybars or bags of candy inside...and their secret mission (which they all chose to accept) was to wish her a happy birthday and give her the candybar at a random time during the school day. To top off the day, we ordered flowers for her to pick up at the office. I loved seeing her face when I picked her up after cheer practice. She exclaimed, "Mom! You won't believe everything that happened to me today!"

For dinner we had her favorite...chicken alfredo with homemade bread...

And then we went to open gifts.

Lainah was so excited for Rachel, so she made her a birthday banner all by herself and hung it up in the living room as a surprise.

And Addy is always willing and ready to help open gifts.

Here is Rachey with her surprise birthday flowers!

And along with the birthday banner, Lainah made Rachel a homemade card.

Rachey opened one of the gifts to reveal....

Doll clothes!?! A dolly sweater and boots? She was excited because this meant a shopping trip with mom to go get a new sweater and yes....boots.

We also wrapped up some deoderant as a corny joke. She thought it was pretty funny.

And last year, all Taylor wanted for Christmas was an Ipod something or another. So we bought him one. But literally 2 days before Christmas, our bank called to let me know that he had one the annual prize drawing and had won...yep...you guessed it...the Ipod whatever it is. So when we went in to get the prize, on the way home he had it opened up before I could figure out how to convince him to just wait a few days..long story short...I did some last minute Christmas shopping for him, and the Ipod we had bought has sat up on our closet shelf for the year. Rachey has been asking for it....so...Happy Birthday!

I love Rachey's fun personality. Here she is showing us all the fine art of blowing out candles.