10

 Now that Annaliese has been 10 for several weeks, she's decided that it's not really that different from being nine. And yet, she's grown over two inches in the last year and when I look at her, I feel like she is growing up before my very eyes! 

 But it's still a big deal, maybe for us as parents more than it is for her. After all, ten years is an entire decade!! Every year I enjoy looking back at blog posts from the previous year and seeing how things have changed. 

This year, when I looked back, I realized there are a few things that haven't changed...and probably won't! Annaliese still loves reading and can be found curled up with a good book for hours on end. Current favorites include The Boxcar Children, the I Survived series and other mysteries. She recently ventured into the "tween" section at the library and has found some longer books. 

Annaliese likes playing soccer, having sleepovers, and working on solving/decoding puzzles. She makes us pancakes for breakfast and has caught on quickly to playing the piano. She and Elias recently made Christmas cards and macrame ornaments and participated in a local craft fair. It was fun to watch them create and sell their items! Annaliese has an incredible memory and memorizes things for school (like her weekly Bible verses) without any difficulty. It's fun to watch as she starts to incorporate English into her schoolwork. She corrected my English grammar yesterday! 

Favorite Food: Hamburgers. Pizza. 

Favorite Color: Turquoise. 

Favorite Subject in School: P.E. and Art