Blake Turns 9

3 down and 1 to go!  Blake turned 9 Friday!  Last year in the single digits!  We made a family decision in the Bryant house to do a big party every other year.  Since last year we had the karaoke blowout this year we kept it simple.  You just have to do this with 4 kids who all chose to be born within a month and a half!  Blake chose to have dinner on the balcony at TGI Fridays and watch the big fountain show.  Not Mama and Daddy's favorite restaurant but hey..it was her night!

I would like to take this birthday post to say a few words about our girl Blake.  She makes us very proud.  I think the move has been hardest on her in regards to missing friends and school.  However, you wouldn't know it lately! I got to visit her classroom and take in birthday treats.  Blake was so happy, funny and confident around her friends!  She had to stand in the front of the room wearing a funny hat while the kids sang happy birthday.  She went up there like a proud peacock and even cracked some jokes!  Blake is known these days as an excellent writer and artist.  She is reading

the Harry Potter books and like to play games on the computer.  Blake has math homework every night online!  Blake loves Lilly and does not like to share her with Latha.  She still likes to wear big bows in her hair daily.  Her ponytail can have no bumps.  She makes us listen to Taylor Swift songs over and over on the way to school (she is closest to the ipod).  She loves taco sauce, cheese dip and she likes trying new foods in Dubai.  Blake has an insane sweet tooth.  She asked me to buy pomegranate seeds to put in her lunch.  She is currently taking jazz and Bollywood dance and is going to try Girl Scouts for the first time.  Blake has the best laugh that makes her dad and I giggle. Blake says she wants to be a fashion designer.   Blake is smart, sweet to others, stubborn as a mule, quiet at times, confident, funny, creative, lacks patience, is somewhat of an instigator, can have a hot temper, leaves her stuff all over the place, sneaks into our bed at night, always wants to kiss and hug us, has newly pierced ears......I could go on and on.  This may all be boring to some but one day I will be glad I jotted all that down!!

Thanks Berkenmeiers!

Blake Lost her first molar last week.  She was worried the tooth fairy would not be able to find her.  So she wrote out directions and posted them in the villa.  This is a very Blake-like thing to do.  It worked because the tooth fairy left her 9 dirhams for her 9th tooth lost very close to her 9th birthday.

First molar lost.

Directions for the tooth fairy to Blake's room.

                                 Enjoy the pictures below to see how we celebrated year 9!  It was a lot of mini-        celebrating with new friends, malls, fountains..very Dubai-like!

The Sasso's came over for some pre-birthday fun!
These kids are having so much fun together!

Moxie Girls!  Thanks Caroline and Georgia!

Birthday morning breakfast.  Wake up Liv!

Presents!

Blake's favorite breakfast!  Cinnamon rolls!

This would be the worlds-largest map for the worlds largest mall . Must
locate the route to TGI Fridays.

Those are thousands of tiny paper butterflies hanging down in the mall.

I am pretty sure they don't sell this Barbie back in Texas!

Sweet Liv always sharing with Lilly.

Blake's birthday table that had the perfect view of the fountain show.

Sweet October girls.  Most of the time! hahahaha

Our table at TGI Fridays...It is getting a little warm!

Not sure what he is doing but had to share it!

Nine and Divine

The Burj Khalifa from our table..I had to crouch down on the floor to take this!
What I do for great shots! ha! 

Another view from our table.  This is where hoards of people gather to watch the fountain show.
It is such a pretty part of Dubai.  The fountain goes off every 20 minutes.  As Latha says, "The water dances"

I am going to climb on top of this table.  We'll see if anyone stops me!

Maybe not..Woudln't want another bo-bo on my cute face!  I already scratched my
nose and lip all up at the park!

Brownie Explosion!

Our friends the Sneedons joined us for dinner! 

Another great family birthday!   Lilly is passed out in the stroller!