Olivia's 7th birthday letter

 Dear Olivia,                                                                                                                 August 21, 2020

I write this letter to you nearly a month after your birthday.  We had so many fun trips after your birthday that I am now just getting to your birthday letter.  Wow your 6th year was so much fun. We went on many fun trips and you got to go to Disneyland.  We ended the year a bit differently with the Coronavirus pandemic happening in March and while it was definitely a trying time on all of us I believe our family has grown closer during the pandemic and we definitely have spent a lot more time together. 

Looking back and all my favorite photos of you when you were 6, I decided to incorporate some of the photos and their memories into this letter.  Each picture tells a story of you being 6.

We took this picture of you and Daddy when we had a really fun trip to the beach in July just after you turned 6 for the night.  We went to Lincoln City and ate at a fun little Mexican restaurant near our hotel.  You had so much fun playing on the beach with Lulu-one of the first times we took her.  

We got matching pineapple dresses that your teacher Mrs. Borrelli and her daughter had.  I love pineapples and you liked them too!  We had fun dressing up in Sun River together.  Speaking of Sun River, you had a blast there this year and was such a good swimmer.  You could swim all the strokes now because of your swim lessons and I felt very comfortable letting you swim all around the SHARC.

This is one of my favorite pictures of you and Lulu camping at the coast.  You both loved camping and being outside.  We got to see Grammy and Papa and all your cousins.  You were really happy to see Bianca.  You had a lot of fun swimming in the camp ground pool, jumping on the bounce pad, and going to be beach.  We also built a giant campfire with Papa and had yummy s'mores.

This was in one our favorite places-the Oregon zoo!  We went in August when we got back from camping and had a blast.  Although you do not like the Oregon zoo as much as your brother and I do.  You do enjoy getting Dippin' Dots though when we visit and walking around.

We had such a fun trip in late August before school started to Los Gatos to see your Auntie Lael and Uncle James.  We went to the beach in Santa Cruz and had a lot o fun playing with your Barbies in the water.  You also had such a blast swimming in Auntie Lael's pool. You love going on trips and seeing new things and spending time with the family.

First day of 1st Grade!  You picked out your entire outfit yourself and we went first day of school outfit shopping at Target.  You loved those light up high tops!  You were very excited for your first day of school and were comfortable with Mrs. Lambert who Brandon had.  This year ended up being very hard as you had several difficult classmates who made learning distracting but you preserved and learned how to continue to learn even with distractions and how to adjust to difficult situations.  I am so proud of you for learning through a more challenging year.  You also became very close with Teodora in your class!

We had a very fun trip to Hood River with the Larson clan and we took some fun photos outside our rental house on the deck.  The entire Larson clan was there including Auntie Tory and Uncle Tom and their family who traveled from California.  We had a lot of fun hanging out with family for 2 days in Hood River and exploring the town.  

We went apple picking in September in Hood River and your cousin Sierra loved hanging out with you.  She looked up to you so much and had fun as we had just seen her at Lael's house in California so she was familiar with you as we had just seen you.  I love this picture of you two eating apples.  

You crushed it at your school's Jog A Thon and ran the most laps in your class at 26 laps.  You ran 2.6 miles in 25 minutes and beat your brother!  You loved doing the Jog A Thon with your class.  I had fun watching you enjoy running something I loved doing so much in my teenage years.

You scored several goals this season and was so fast!  When you stayed focused, you were amazing.  It was so much fun coaching you and your friends and getting to know a lot of 1st grade Alberta Rider girls and their families.  By the end of the season, your team had made so much progress!

Fall is my favorite season and I love going to Pumpkin Patches.  Luckily you do too!  We had a blast going on one of your days off from school to Bauman Farms with the Mowery's.  It was a sunny day and we did all the fun activities including the hay ride, a fun slide, shooting a canon at apples, laser tag, a bounce house and more fun stuff.

We had fun with cousin Jasper at the Pumpkin patch near our house-Red Berry Barn while big brother played a Flag Football game.  You had fun hanging out with Jasper.

Looking so old suddenly for your 1st grade school picture.  

We had so much fun dressing up and going to the zoo with Jasper for the fun zoo Howlween trick or treating.  We walked around the zoo and saw the animals and go to to go trick or treating for candy.

It was such a joy taking you to Disneyland at 6.  You were so excited to try everything and not scared of any of the rides-even though I was!  It was such a nice break in late October to take a trip too and get to go to sunny warm California.  We got to go to Disneyland for 5 whole days and you loved every second of it.  We loved Splash Mountain and it was so hot it was perfect way to cool off.

The new Star Wars land was so cool!  You were one of the Millenium Falcon pilots!

You were just as excited as I was to get all the signatures from all the characters.  We were so lucky to find Sorcerer Mickey on the first day!

The tea cups were so fun!  This photo is a great one showing your fun smile when you are so happy!

Although you weren't quite into princesses as much as you used to be, you were still very excited for your Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique makeover appointment when you turned into Princess Aurora!  It was fun because we got to go to the special Halloween party afterwards and you were already all dressed up.

So much fun exploring Tom Sawyer's Island.

Breakfast with Minnie was a blast!

My two favorites-Tigger and Winnie The Pooh at Minnie's breakfast.  You liked seeing all the characters and the food was so good.  It was nice because we were in the park so we could also book all our Fast Pass rides while we were at breakfast.

You were barely tall enough to go on the Incredicoaster and loved every second of it.  We went upside multiple times on the roller coaster and it was your favorite ride in Disneyland.  You wanted to do it over and over again!  Such an adventurous girl!

A fun Halloween with the Mowery's again. We went over to their house and had fun trick or treating in their neighborhood and around around the school.  You got a ton of candy!

Looking super old after your haircut in November.  You got to go to Mommy's hairdresser and loved having your hair done. You loved your straight hair and Daddy missed your curly hair.

Double Doodle Fun in November when we babysat Pumpkin.  Pumpkin slept with you most of her time visiting us.  She really liked you.

We had a fun Thanksgiving with your cousin Bianca up in Washington.  The two o you have a special relationship being only 3 months apart and always have fun together.  I wish we could see them more.

Merry Christmas 2019!  You helped me decorate the tree and was such a big help.

Hugging Santa and our breakfast with Santa.  It was so sweet.

Hanging out with Baby Callie over Christmas.

You looked so cute over Christmas with your tooth missing.  You loved being at CiCi's house with all your family over Christmas.

Fun Christmas photo with CiCi!

You and Sierra had so much fun looking at all the Christmas presents!  You were so excited to see what presents you got.

Cuddling CiCi at Pastini's after Christmas in Corvallis for dinner.  You love Pastini's and pasta.  We had a lot of fun hanging out with CiCi and Baba after Christmas for a few days.

After your indoor soccer game in January I let you go to the mall and get your ears pierced at Claire's (just like I did!).  You were so brave and didn't even cry.  It helped that we got both ears pierced at the same time.  You picked out very pretty light pink diamond earrings.

In January you lost your second front tooth!  

You had a blast skiing for the first time at Hoodoo in late January when we went on a short trip to Black Butte for 2 nights.  You caught on really quickly with skiing and by the end of your first day was able to go down the Hoodoo bunny hill great and even turn!  I think all the gymnastics you do really helped you with your balancing when you skied.

You made these adorable Valentine's Day cards for your teacher through your fun craft box you got for Christmas.  

All dressed up for Valentine's Day!  You had a fun Valentine's Day party with your class.

You got to play in the snow at Mt. Hood when we went skiing for the day.

You were an awesome little skier at Mt. Hood Ski Bowl and were easily going down all green runs on your second time skiing.  You loved going fast and were going faster than mommy only two hours into skiing.  You caught on well.  We didn't do lessons with you this time but Daddy took you all over the mountain and taught you.  You were also way less scared than Mommy!

This picture was taken just our first week into being quarantined.  Our whole world changed a few days before this picture was taken with the Cornoavirus Pandemic going on.  You went to school on Thursday March 12th like any other day and then that night at 8:00 PM our District announced that school was going to be canceled due to the virus 3 weeks through Spring break which turned into the end of the school year in June.  You did great though with the changes and celebrated being home and not having to go to school.  You missed your friends the first few weeks but Facetimed them a lot.

One of your first pictures taken with sweet Teddy who we got in late March.  It was so much fun having a new pup and he was a great addition to the family.  He looks so little in this picture.

In April we enjoyed walking together every day after finishing school and our school work.  We had a fun walk in Cook Park with Teddy in this picture.

You developed a much stronger bond with Lulu with the emergence of Teddy.  Lulu loved having you home all the time and getting so much attention.  We took her on a lot of fun walks.

We rode bikes to Sun Rise Park in early April and watched the Sunset.  Teddy is such a good cuddler.  

We had a fun quarantined Easter celebration in April.  We normally spend Easter with Sean's family but stayed put and lay low as there was a new stay at home order from our Governor.  We had a fun day of Easter egg dyeing, doing cross word puzzles, doing a candy egg hunt and a fun scavenger hunt at the end of the day.

The weather warmed up and we allowed the Mowery's into our quaratine bubble.  You had fun playing in the pool and on our play structure in May.  You and Brandon spent a lot of time in our backyard.  

We had a super fun hike to Silver Falls with the Mowerys in late May where you hiked 6.5 miles and saw 9 waterfalls.  It was so fun to get outside as our State Parks finally were starting to re-open.

Last day of 1st grade for you!  You were such a hard worker during your distance learning and did extra assignments.  You began doing Enrichment work at the end of the year and was doing a lot of 2nd grade math.  You were eager to learn and a joy to teach this spring most of the time!  

6 days a part you and Addie had a very fun Hawaiian themed Luau quarantine birthday party and celebrated turning 7 together with your school friends-most of them on your soccer team.  We were so happy you actually got to celebrate (even though outside and using masks) with your friends.

You on Cici's front porch swing in mid June just after school got out.  Notice how much bigger Teddy is now just a few months later!

Climbing trees and having an adventure in Corvallis.

Having fun with your best classmate Teodora at her house in July

CiCi and Baba and Pumpkin came to celebrate your birthday early.  We had yummy cake and Old Market Pub for dinner your favorite and took the dogs on a walk.  You got to open up your presents from CiCi and Baba and got a large Lego Amusement park set you were excited about!

Happy being 7 Olivia!

Dear Sweet GIrl you are 7 now and I hope this year brings you such happiness.  I love you so much, but please do not grow up too fast.  It is so fun being a kid.  You are such a smart and resilient girl.  

Love,

Mommy