Savannah celebrated her 13th birthday in June and has officially become a teenager. How is that possible??? Where did the time go?
On her special day she earned two more ribbons in Personal Progress; four down, three more to go for her Young Women medallion!
In the evening we had our family party for Savannah and she was super excited to open her presents. She was especially eager to open the big one.
She received some nice little gifts, like books and painting supplies.
I could feel her excitement as she turned to the big box. If only she could have known that I sat there with as much just as much anticipation for this opening because I knew what was in that box.
For the past several months Savannah had been begging for a phone but my rule is strict - no phone until a person is 16. I hate how everyone today seems glued to their phones to the exclusion of all else going on around them, even friends they are with. I do not want my kids becoming those zombie-like kids one sees everywhere, unable to talk to those around them or just absorb the beauty of life that surrounds them each day. David was willing but I could not be swayed. At least, that's what I thought. One afternoon I found a letter from Savannah on my bed that outlined her great desire for a phone as well as the benefits that would come with her having a phone. She mentioned that she would do extra chores as well as pay for half of the monthly bill. "Phones are also good because if you are somewhere with friends and you need to be picked up or something, you will have a phone." Valid argument, especially with all the friend outings she has been having lately. I could feel my wall starting to crack as I read lines like "I am wise with my time. I know people are more important than phones." and "I can also use my phone to do good things like read my scriptures, listen to music, and look up a difficult problem or something I don't understand. There are a lot of learning apps that will help me. There is also the "New Era" that I could read on the bus and other places." The letter was really cute and well-thought out. She presented her arguments and ended with "I hope you think about this and reflect on my points." Well, I did and I came to the conclusion that if we laid down the law regarding her usage, maybe I could ease up on the Nazis phone stance a bit and give her a chance. So, David got the phone and it was time to figure out a way to really surprise her with it. We decided to put it in a great big box in hopes that the size would fool her. However, I wanted to really fool her so we went a step further - I taped the phone to the back of a Monster High doll, which she has totally gotten too old for, and then laid the doll box face up so she would have to pull the doll out before realizing what she was actually getting. Needless to say, our plan went off without a hitch. She opened the box...
she struggled to hide her disappointment that it was only a lame Monster High doll, she pulled it out...
and then bammo! She saw what was taped to the back. I truly, truly love this picture!!
Her excitement and joy brought tears to my eyes. I love making my kids happy!
Savannah and her new phone. Here's to hoping that she doesn't turn into another one of those mindless individuals walking around today with their phone forever in her hand while it sucks all her time and thoughts.
Noah is always the life of the party and got those party shenanigans going!
Brownies and ice cream for dessert.
Make a wish! I think hers already came true!
Because Savannah's birthday fell on a Sunday this year we had to wait until Monday to take her out for her birthday breakfast. She chose IHOP!
Quite a tasty way to start the day!
Savannah's Favorites at 13:
Color:
blue
Food:
Tilapia
Movie:
Prince of Persia
TV Show:
Mako Mermaids
Book:
The Lunar Chronicles;
Selection, East
Toy:
so outgrown them (secretly: Legos)
Animal:
Lion
Thing to Do:
Play Soccer
Sport to Watch:
football
Sport to Play:
soccer
Sports Team:
Niners, Orioles
Sports Player:
Manny Machado, Kaepernick
Fruit:
Watermelon
Vegetable:
Broccoli
Song:
Bad Blood
Singer:
Taylor Swift
Holiday:
Halloween
Candy:
Dark Chocolate, Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, Jolly Ranchers
Dessert:
ice cream
Season:
summer
Restaurant:
Red Lobster
Temple:
Salt Lake City and DC
Scripture Hero:
Ammon
Place to Go:
the VI
What She Wants to Be When She Grows Up:
professional soccer player
Best Friends:
Celine, Jayna, my mom (I swear I didn't just add that last one!)
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