Childhood birthdays are so exciting and this was no different. Swimming, pizza, games, spa treatments, a fashion show, and so much more made this birthday celebration nothing short of fabulous.

How loud can 25 children get in a hotel pool?  How long can seven-year-old girls stay awake when clustered in groups?  Do five-year-old girls get more make-up on themselves or the bathroom counters when left to their own devices?  How many ibuprofen does it take to repair your head after listening to high-pitched squeals for nine hours straight?  I learned the answer to each and everyone of these questions a few weeks ago.

At the same time, I saw how precious young friendships can be.  I saw a mother express love for her daughter by moving the world to show her how special she is.  I watched little faces light up as they held the largest piece of birthday cake ever distributed at a party and instead of wasting it, decided to wear it.  I discovered the magic that surrounds little girls as they dress up and imagine the women they will become.  I found out that giggles really are contageous.  I renewed old friendships and started new ones.  And ultimately, I was reminded of what a precious thing it is to be a little girl.

Following an afternoon of swimming, yard games, pizza, cake and presents, the girls all retired to suites on the top floor of the hotel.  They were endlessly pampered.  They were given facials and were taught relaxation techniques by Blakely Stevenson of BeautiControl.  She is one of the best make-up specialists in our area, as well as being patient, generous, and caring as shown with each of the girls (and the adults).  The girls were also treated to manicures and had their make-up done.  Of course, they had to redo the make-up, because we didn’t use nearly enough.  The natural look was a bit unpopular there.  After all of this, the girls raided the dress up clothes and we hosted a fashion show.

It was a wonderful night and I am thrilled to share a few of these moments with you!  If you have time, take a look at the video and see a little more of the details.