She's Nine!

It is hard to believe that my sweet Allie is now nine years old. Like all nine year old girls, one of her birthday wishes was to open her own savings account. Really? We waited in line for an hour, but she finally has her own account. She put in every last penny she had. She did spend two gift cards but refused to spend any cash. There are a lot of things I love about my Allie. Here is my Top Nine List.

1. She always, always, always thinks of others first. She gave away her first Christmas gift to her brother. She asks for birthday items to give to her sister. She is just a thoughtful girl.

2. She is a thinker.

3. She is unique. Her ideas often surprise me. She has strong opinions and is not afraid to be alone. She accepts everyone and tries to raise the standard for everyone around her.

4. Allie loves animals. She just spent a week working at the Humane Society. She loved cleaning out the cat cages. Who likes that?

5. Although she is often told that she is a lot like me. Secretly she wants to be like her dad, too. He is Mr.Science, and Allie loves science.

6. She loves to cook and create recipes! Fun to be with in the kitchen. (She also wears the old I love Lucy aprons while she cooks.)

7. She is not afraid of hard work. She is often told, "Do you know how much work that is?" Her response is always, "I don't mind hard work."

8. She has been fascinated with all things Chinese since she was very young. I often thought of her as a missionary in China. I was reminded that she may just want to run a Chinese buffet.

9. Even though she is "fun-loving" and has the goofiest sense of humor, she feels things deeply. She really processes and thinks through things.

That is my Top Nine List on Allie for her Ninth Birthday!