Annie at 23 - Then and Now (Happy Birthday!)

Happy Birthday, Annie!  Wow!  Twenty-three years old!

Birthday blogs have become a tradition in our family, and I have been racking my brain to come up with a theme that hasn't been done before.  I try to make each birthday blog special because I consider them a gift to my children every year.

This has been an eventful year for Annie.  As I was looking back through the photos taken this year,  I was reminded of those taken in years past.  I've taken A LOT of photos over the years.  I may not have a great memory for some things,  but I can pretty much remember most of the pictures I've taken of my kids.  For this post,  I had to do some digging, but I was able to find what I was looking for!

So here's Annie - then and now.

THEN we had a black cat named Molly. ⬆

NOW Annie has two black cats named Wells and Charles. ⬇

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THEN Annie and Kerry had matching long-sleeve white shirts. ⬆

NOW they have matching sleeveless white shirts. ⬇

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THEN we rode bikes on our street. ⬆

NOW we rode bikes in France. ⬇

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THEN she made friends with the swan at our local duck pond. ⬆

NOW she made friends with the swans in Kensington Park in London. ⬇

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THEN her dad played the part of the prince. ⬆

NOW there's someone else in the picture. ⬇

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THEN Annie was proud to catch a tiny fish. ⬆

NOW Annie was proud to catch a BIG fish. ⬇

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THEN Annie posed with Mrs. BIgge after her concerts. ⬆

NOW Annie's students pose with her after their concerts. ⬇

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THEN Annie wore white sequins for her first dance recital. ⬆

NOW Annie wore white sequins for her senior recital. ⬇

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THEN they posed for Easter in front of our front door. ⬆

NOW they posed for Christmas in front of our front door. ⬇

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THEN we took a boat ride on Lake George. ⬆

NOW we took a boat ride on the Seine in Paris. ⬇

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THEN she played in the band in Middle School. ⬆

NOW she directs the Middle School band. ⬇

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THEN they posed for a picture with their dad. ⬆

NOW they posed for a picture with their dad.  ⬇

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THEN we coordinated our outfits. ⬆

NOW we coordinated our sunglasses. ⬇

Time has gone by.  Annie has grown up.  

So many things have changed.

But in many ways, they remain the same.

May you have the happiest of birthdays!