5 is going to be a great year!

That's what we had to keep telling Charlie the night before her birthday!

Despite the fact that she had been counting down the days til her birthday since SPRING, the eve of the big day was very emotional as she gripped the fact that her year of being 4 was coming to and end. "I loved being 4!" In her mind, 5 was really old...and she wasn't quite ready to accept it!

I told her that when she's five, she can pretty much count on the fact that she won't have to move again! Right there you've got a good year!

By morning, she was whistling a different tune.

(Those aren't jellybeans for breakfast; she was just admiring her rocks from the zoo! I wish I was cool enough to give her jellybeans for breakfast!)

Grandma, Grandpa, & Bestemor said goodbye on her birthday. It was so fun to have them here to celebrate!

Yes, that's a McDonald's bag. My middle child is in constant turmoil overing liking McDonald's even though Berkley and Mom don't like it. "I know it's bad for me, but I just love it. (sigh)" We told her to toss the guilt for the day and enjoy her McDonald's lunch!

I think she did!

A birthday wouldn't be complete without plenty of dancing and singing.

Or without some gifts. As usual, I think she hit the jackpot.

Hey, wait a sec, I thought birthdays were for ME!! What's all this hoopla for Charlotte?

Thank you, craigslist for some clubs. We'll see how long she's really interested in golfing with daddy. lpga?? who knows.

"Mom, I don't really know what to SAY on the phone when they say happy birthday." I thought that was funny. The girl who could talk all day long... Anyway, I don't think any of us really know, but we just know how to fake it.

Angel food cake with whipped cream and strawberries. This little lady gets to have 3 birthday celebrations this year, so we tried to mix up the cakes.

Happy Birthday, jellybean! It's gonna be a great year!