Our Hailey-bug is 14 years old! Somehow in the blink of an eye she went from this:

to this:

Beautiful inside and out; we could not love her more.

We celebrated on her birthday, starting with a family dance party as she walked in the kitchen and homemade sourdough English muffins! We did some school work for a bit, then she was whisked away by Mema for some lunch and shopping.

Midafternoon we met at Escape Artist for Hailey’s birthday request: an escape room experience! Have you done one of these as a family? We have only done a couple but we love them and this location rocked it. We did Dr. Fratelli’s Cabin and came back after dinner to also do Classified. Both experiences were creative and well designed. We had such a blast and I highly recommend them!

In between experiences we walked downtown Greenville, popping in and out of some shops. 14 is fun because I think she equally enjoyed Madewell and the toy store. Same, my girl, same.

We ate dinner outside at Indaco. The weather, the service, and the food were all excellent. Usually I make the birthday girl her recipe request, but with the escape rooms, it was easier to eat out. It was a fun switch up because we all just got to sit and enjoy each other. It was really nice.

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We headed home after the celebratory afternoon for cake and presents. Kaitlyn and I baked up her favorite, Tres Leches, the day prior so it was ready and waiting for us. Hailey is so easy to celebrate because she really has such a humble and appreciative heart. Seeing her be the star of the day and hopefully feel how much we love her makes my mama heart so happy. She seemed to end the day on cloud nine, thanking us with hugs and smiles and a “thanks for making this such a great birthday” as she headed up to bed. We are so lucky to be her parents.

A few things about Hailey:

• She is self-motivated, self-disciplined, and a hard worker. She’s also very coachable, which impresses me. She is open to feedback and implements it effectively.
• She has a big heart and picks up easily on the emotions of others, but she isn’t herself overly emotional or dramatic. She’s a strong kind of sensitive.
• She loves seasonal decor and the feeling of cozy.
• She will play any piano she can find and blows me away with her talent. She’s currently learning to transpose, which she tells me means changing the key of a song. I have very limited musical knowledge and to me she is a musical genius.
• She really enjoys sports. Both playing them (soccer and basketball) and watching them (football). She is enjoying her experience at musical theater, too.
• She is naturally creative in both art and writing. She is about to (self)publish her first short story, The Napkin Thief, which she wrote and illustrated herself.
• She’s witty and makes us laugh. I pointed out a misspelled word in one of her first drafts from last week and her response? Oh. Well, that was back when I was only 13.
• Favorite food: cheeseburgers, pasta, Tres leches, shepherds pie, apples, melon, Greek salad, and truffle fries.
• Current favorite books: The Ranger’s Apprentice series, Anne of Green Gables, Pride & Prejudice

What my 14 year old got and loved:

• Fall quilt and matching sheets
• Book nook kit
• Candle warmer
• Athletic top
• Harry Potter legos
• Cozy and cute fall lounge set
• Compact photo printer and color ink label set (great for journaling!)

A look back:

• Hailey is 13 Years Old
• Hailey at 12 Years Old
• Hailey at 11 Years Old
• Hailey at 10 Years Old
• Hailey at 9 years old
• Day in the Life: Hailey just turned 8
• Hailey at 7 years old
• Hailey at 6 years old
• Hailey at 5 years old
• Hailey at 4 years old
• Hailey at 3 years old
• Hailey at 2 and a half
• Hailey at 2 years old
• Hailey at 1 year old
• Hailey at 10 months old
• Hailey at 8 months old
• Hailey’s birth story part one and part two