Bon Voyage!

My niece Aubrey turns fourteen years old today.  She couldn't be here for her birthday because her class has gone to Washington, D.C.  I think it's cool that they are there for the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's iconic speech.

Anyway, she didn't want to have her birthday party before her actual birthday, because of a family superstition about not celebrating the even before the even has happened.  She did, however, want to receive her "birthday money" before the trip so she would have spending money.

The solution?  They had a Bon Voyage party instead of a birthday party!  It was Sunday at my sister's house, with the whole family attending.  I had to look hard to find a Bon Voyage card!  They seem to be out of fashion these days.  My sister made and decorated the cake above, along with help from Aubrey's younger sister Molly.

Aubrey is a huge fan of Dr. Who; her birthday wish list contained many Dr. Who related items, including soundtracks from the show.  She also received a complete Dr. Who outfit; bow tie, fez, trench coat and something called a "sonic screwdriver".

Here are pictures of Aubrey in the outfit:

This photo is an uncle and an aunt figuring out how to make the sonic screwdriver work:

This is her grandmother photo bombed by an alien:

Here is Aubrey, highlighted by the sonic screwdriver:

Aubrey is a very cool, intelligent, thoughtful, imaginative girl.  Her father's family were all born, raised, educated, and still living in Kentucky.  All three girls have talked about going to college in Kentucky.  I am the subversive aunt; I keep encouraging them to go out of state and "broaden their horizons".  I think they are tired of me telling Aubrey she should go to Stanford.  I've been there and I know she would fit right in.