bkg: http://www.beanmom.com/pix/bg.gif Dcp_8838.jpg Birthday celebration #1: A combination sleepover/bowling event with one friend invited, held the weekend before her birthday Dcp_8839.jpg Nice form! She's pretty darn good at bowling Dcp_8842.jpg Kinda grossed out These bowling alley hot dogs were extremely nasty Dcp_8845.jpg Why?!? Why were the hot dogs so nasty??!? Dcp_8849.jpg Biker babe Sammy didn't dig the bowling Dcp_8852.jpg Checking the score Nice shoes, eh? Dcp_8855.jpg Goofiness Bunny ears? Dcp_8910.jpg Birthday celebration #2: The traditional family meals out on her actual birthday She chose a special place for brunch, and now she's on the way to brunch-dessert Dcp_8915.jpg Brunch only has dessert on your birthday This is (ugh) Cotton Candy ice cream with Gummi Bears mixed in Dcp_8920.jpg A lasting reminder... ...of a whole lotta food coloring Dcp_8921.jpg And now it's dinner time And we're eating at her favorite restaurant Dcp_8922.jpg 9-year-old Opening her cards Dcp_8923.jpg Peeking Sammy wants to seeeeee! Dcp_8925.jpg And now we're getting dessert Because you get lots of dessert on your birthday! Dcp_8935.jpg The traditional birthday treat S'mores at Così! Dcp_8936.jpg Mmmmm, toasty! Sammy is finally old enough to get her own pointy stick Dcp_8940.jpg The perfect s'more Sticky and sweet Dcp_8942.jpg Apprentice Sammy is learning the art of toasting Dcp_8943.jpg Patience Mmmm, sugar rush on the way!! Dcp_8946.jpg Contentment She's got a nice buzz going on now Dcp_8954.jpg Birthday celebration #3 Dinner out with the grandparents, the weekend after her birthday Dcp_8955.jpg And oh yes... Sammy's here too!! Dcp_8958.jpg Fried ice cream Yay, more birthday = more dessert!! Dcp_9793.jpg Birthday celebration #4 The big official sleepover party, more than a month after her actual birthday Dcp_9794.jpg The theme is... ...Underwater! Dcp_9796.jpg More decorations That's seaweed hanging from the ceiling Dcp_9799.jpg Close-up on the fishies We printed, cut out, colored, decorated and hung up about 50 fishies. Each was unique. Dcp_9808.jpg Merriment Here's almost everybody -- one girl was late -- hanging out in the hammock Dcp_9811.jpg The cake This one was fun to decorate Dcp_9814.jpg The full guest list Alice's 4 best BFFs Dcp_9817.jpg Perfect pose We wanted a good picture of them, because this was probably the last time they'll all be together Dcp_9819.jpg And oh yeah... ...Sammy was there too! Dcp_9825.jpg Ready for the singing More than 9 candles because they're pretty Dcp_9826.jpg Hanging out Eating cake and watching chick movies Dcp_9831.jpg The morning after Finally, her birthday is done!