Unicorn Party!

We hosted a unicorn party for Avery on Saturday afternoon. It was so much fun! Avery LOVED it! 

Decorating her cake:

I ordered an awesome party pack from Amazon complete with everything I needed to host a party, including the tableware, cake decorations, invitations, favor boxes & candles!

I ordered some unicorn themed  party favors including these stamps. 

Here's a look at the party boxes & we filled them all a little bit with candy before the piñata time. 

The unicorn banner came in the party pack. I bought the "pin the horn on the unicorn" from Target. It came with a felt eye mask & sticker horns. 

The cake topper was part of the party pack. 

Avery had an identical set of hanging decorations for past birthdays but they didn't last much longer than 2 birthdays. So I ordered a new set but didn't want to hang them from the ceiling at church, so I taped them on butcher paper and hung it up over a children's church poster. 

In the empty spaces I filled in pieces of a quick impromptu birthday interview which I'll post below. 

After "pin the horn on the unicorn".... this was a blast! Every kid played (young & old!) And even one of my friends!

We also bought a piñata at Target and filled it with assorted chocolate & candies. The younger kids got to hit the piñata three times per turn and the older kids got to hit once per turn. Everyone loved this!

Three kiddos were super sweaty & pumped after the party! 

Avery's birthday interview:

***

Avery is 5 years old!

What makes you laugh: Popping a balloon.

If you had one wish, what would it be? To see a real unicorn. 

What's the best time of day? Wednesday. 

What do you like to learn about? Math. 

Favorite food: Applesauce & broccoli. 

Where do you like to go? McDonald's (I was thinking more like "the beach" but to each their own, I guess. P.S. I can count on one hand the number of times we have been to McDonald's in the last 2 years. )

Favorite thing to do: Have a birthday!

What's your favorite book? My Little Pony

What do you do really well? Play with horses. 

What do you want to be when you grow up? A ballerina.

 

***

I hope you enjoyed this little peek at her special day!

Until Next Time,

Much Love, Reba

Michael is 9!

Today, we woke up with a 9 year old in the house!  Michael turned nine today and I can just hardly believe it!  I can totally remember everything about his birthday.  He was born at 4:32 pm and weighed a surprising 8lbs 14oz! He was a very long baby and wore newborn clothes maybe twice. :)  He's since grown to be a thriving big boy who loves to give hugs and smiles.  Especially with the week we've had, his smiles and hugs have been a comfort to many.  Michael is a treasure and I'm so beyond blessed that God placed him into our home to be our first child. 

Dear Michael, 

You are so full of life and for this I am very grateful!  Since you're my first born, I often struggled with knowing "am I doing this parenting thing right?" and "wow, how can this be going by so quickly?!"  You've overcome SO many struggles in your life so far and I know that God has been with you through each one of them.  You are braver than you believe, son.  Your life has shown me so.  You are the most timid of your siblings and I credit this to your way of processing things around you since you've walked roads that neither of your siblings have had to walk.  With that being said, you're the most generous with your hugs and your smiles.  One of your many gifts is to be a comfort to others.  You're very empathetic and offer many words of encouragement.  

You love being around people!  You thrive in church "Wednesday work days" and in attending church each Sunday.  You love to greet your fellow church members with a smile, and you dole out your cherished hugs to grandparents and great grandparents.  You love starting out each school year with the mentality of making several new friends and you ALWAYS succeed!  

You're a great joke teller and an awesome reader.  I am so excited to see you so excited about the books your class is reading.  God's hand was so evident in the teachers that you got this year, and I'm relieved each day to see you thriving in school and looking forward to attending each weekday.  

Although you cherish your alone time and probably need more of it than you get, you are still an amazing big brother.  You have never once left Noah standing alone on the side walk after morning drop-off.  You always wait for him to get his backpack and walk inside together. (How do I know?  I hear from your grandmas who take you to school!). :)  I know that when Avery joins you next year that you'll be a great comfort to her as well.  

After school and on weekends, you love to engage your brother and sister in imaginative play.  You are always up for a board game or family video game nights as well.  You're reaching the age where you like to sit down together and watch a movie, and "Secondhand Lions" has become a recent favorite.  

During your visits to the endocrinologist every few months, you like to make a whole day out of our time together.  We frequently get lunch before the visit as well as a treat in the gift shop of the hospital.  You are grateful for these moments together as mom, dad, and Michael, and we are so grateful for special time with you too. 

You're so excited to be nine years old and I am so looking forward to what this year will bring for you. 

I love you so dearly, Michael!

Love, Mom

Noah is 7!

Noah woke up today as a 7 year old! He's spunky and sweet with an easy smile. He's doing a fantastic job being a first grader especially a virtual one! He loves to play outside & can also easily entertain himself with toys in his imaginary world.  He plays well with others and can be perfectly content playing alone. He's very creative and currently likes drawing and creating abstract art (by rearranging his toys to represent other things etc.). He thrives with compliments and likes to know someone is always nearby. He's the perfect middle child that this family needed. 

He still loves all things garbage truck, school bus, and rescue vehicles. In fact, his party theme today was "school bus!" 

He chose apples, Oreo Thins, and Ritz crackers for party snacks in addition to his cake. 

We played inflatable bowling...

And tic-tac-toe / checkers...

And bean bag toss! 

For birthday dinner, he chose takeout pizza. We had a great day!

Happy Birthday, Noah! I love you! And I love being your mommy! I'm so glad God created you & put you in this family. I pray you seek Him earnestly & always. His way is best. Always keep your spunk and your joy. These things are so uniquely "you." Love, Mom

Until Next Time,

Much Love, Reba

Michael's Super Nintendo Mario Party

 Originally, Michael's birthday party theme was going to be "Poison Kirby" but alas, that proved to be too difficult to find supplies.  So he changed it to Super Nintendo/ Mario.  This, I could do.  I have done a Mario party for three out of the last 4 years (year 4, year 5, year 8).  We kept it simple with the invites-- partly due to Coronavirus concerns and not wanting to expose ourselves to too many avenues of exposure, and partly because school wasn't in session yet and we didn't have classmate information. 

We invited our church family and our extended family.  All three grandparent sets were able to come, as well as two uncles, an aunt, a girlfriend of an uncle, and two cousins.  It was a very fun day!  We opted not to do a bouncy house this year (again, covid concerns of little kids jumping on a slick surface where sweat and inevitably some spittle would flounce about).  We had our party at the church building still, because people could spread out and because I wouldn't have to bend over backwards to clean my home to the desired level that I feel is necessary when non-family is coming over. 

We kept the decorations relatively simple.  We used solid red plates, multi-colored cups, and a Funfetti cake with homemade buttercream frosting.  I bought Mario themed balloons from Amazon, as well as a Mario "Happy Birthday" banner, and Mario cake toppers.  Michael scrolled Pinterest with me one afternoon and we picked out some food ideas. 

We had cheese balls as "Bowser's Fireballs" (all labels I printed myself at home), strawberries and green grapes on skewers for "Piranha Plants," blue jello with Cool Whip as "Mario Sky," and labelled soda bottles (Dr. Mario [Diet Dr. Pepper], Mountain Boo [Diet Mountain Dew], Koopa Kola [Diet Coke], and Rex Root Beer [Diet A&W], and regular Coke as well).  We also had classic potato chips (that I forgot to label as "coins"), crunchy Cheetos, and the cake with tinted green frosting for grass and the Mario characters set atop in the order Michael provided. 

We bought a few "yard games" on Amazon for party participants to play.  We bought a bean bag toss game, an inflatable bowling set (very popular with the 2 and 3 year old crowd), and a giant table-top checkers set.  The kiddos also played with the foosball table in the Children's Church room and the toddlers enjoyed playing in the nursery.  All in all it was a super fun day and I'm so grateful to our family and our church family for stepping in and making sure Michael had a fantastic 8th birthday!

Until Next Time, 

Much Love, Reba

Michael is 8!

 Literally, the first title I typed said "Michael is 7!"  Then I had to pause and erase my text and say "Michael is 8!"  Wow.  I REMEMBER being 8!  It's so strange to me to have a child that will be entering 3rd grade and become an age where I vividly remember a lot of things about that same age.  I'm not sad-- it's just weird.  

Michael is pumped about turning eight.  He knows it means that he's nearly ten and that he's entering the last half of elementary school.  I still get caught up in the hamster-wheel inside my mind that says "One day, my kids will remember the things we do and the memories we've made but they're not there yet."  However, yes they are.  They are old enough to remember family trips and funny phrases and inside jokes, and however much I think that "one day, I'll have this parenting thing down" I realize daily that I do not.  And instead of waiting for when I feel like the perfect prepared parent, I need to instead take each day as it comes, get my daily dose of grace given by God and walk on.  

Michael still loves all things Mario and Pokemon with a nice sprinkling of Minecraft thrown in.  He is great at impressions of these characters and absorbs all information he can read about them and the various intricacies of the games in which they're involved.  He LOVES jokes-- loves to read them, loves to listen to them, loves to create his own. 

His birthday party looks a little different this year. We invited mainly church families since our congregation basically has stayed out of the public sector. My brother and family are able to come in from out of town (also they have remained largely out of the public eye).  I am saddened a bit that Michael doesn't have school friends at this year's party since they haven't started back to school yet.  He seems to be okay with it though and I'm so thankful for our church family coming together to support this little boy on his special day. 

This morning, Aaron & I had Mario themed balloons ready for Michael at his dining room seat. Avery was the first one awake & gushed over the balloons. When Michael did wake up, I greeted him with a hug and a "Happy Birthday!" as soon as he walked into the living room. Avery then instantly gave him a hug and said "come see your 'boons!" So... I guess it was still a surprise. :)

He chose pizza for dinner, so Aaron braved the late summer thunderstorm and picked up dinner from our favorite local pizza place. We had a small ice cream cake later on and Michael opened birthday cards while we snacked. He got to open presents at my mother-in-law's house today and my parents stopped by this evening to let him open the gifts they bought. 

We ended the evening by daydreaming about how he could spend his birthday money, and we read a couple pages in our "Rush Revere and the First Patriots" chapter book.  Overall, I think he had a very fun day and we look forward to his party!

Michael, you are sweet and kind & such a great problem solver! I'm so proud of the young man you are growing up to be. Everyday, I'm super thankful to be your mom. I love you so so very much. Love, Mom

Until Next Time, 

Much Love, Reba

Avery's Unicorn Party

 Avery is all about some unicorns, so it wasn't a far stretch to choose that for her 3rd birthday party!  To be fair, pre-Coronavirus, we had tossed around the idea of having her first "friend" party since she's made a little toddler friend at church.  This party was going to be a painting theme with little pallets filled with sprinkles and white frosted cupcakes for the kiddos to decorate themselves. However, we decided to forgo that idea the closer we got to her birthday when we realized life as we've come to know it for the past 5 months isn't changing anytime soon.  Avery has only had "family" parties, so she wouldn't know any differently this year.   So we put the painting party in the back of our minds (and in our "Save for Later- Amazon cart") and we'll use that idea in a future year.  We decided on the unicorn theme since we knew she'd FLIP OUT and it was easy to find things to work for a low-key party.  Everything came from Amazon and Wal-Mart.  

I grabbed this decoration set on Amazon and originally thought of hanging them on the mantle, but decided last minute to string them from the dining room light and we LOVE how it turned out!  There's ten different pictures, each attached by a metallic streamer.  The pictures include a unicorn cupcake, a unicorn face, two unicorns, some shooting stars, some unicorn heads, and a cloud with hearts raining down. 

The cake is a Funfetti mix with homemade buttercream frosting.  The decorations were from an Amazon pack.  Aaron skewered some toothpicks to the felt base to get the crown to stand up correctly. 

The unicorn plates were a Wal-Mart find!

When we called Avery into the kitchen to see the cake, she was so excited!  We put on her unicorn headband (also a Wal-Mart find) and she held up a unicorn plate for the ultimate unicorn compilation photo. 

Her party was great!  We had three sets of grandparents and most of each couple set could come!  We also had an uncle in attendance too!  She loved singing "Hap Birt-day" and eating cake and opening presents.  She got lots of cute girly things, but wasn't overwhelmed.  She did decide though, to try out her mermaid swimsuit and skirt, Little Mermaid sandals, and hold her unicorn toy while I turned on "Home Alone."  Yes.  "Home Alone."  But you know what?  That is what makes up Avery-- lots of color, an eclectic vibe, and a misplaced seasonal movie. :) 

Until Next Time, 

Much Love, Reba

Avery is Three!

 Avery turns 3 years old today!  Throughout her childhood, I have continued to feel a sense of contentment and peace about each age and each stage.  I'm not sad to see seasons go, and I'm happy to welcome in the new skills she learns as time goes on.  Today she is cheerful and so very excited for this birthday!  That's so much fun for me to watch because I'm observing her really taking it all in and understanding what is going on!  We've talked about her birthday for several weeks now and she knew it was this week on Thursday, so the fact that it's here is just so exciting!  She's been pumped about her birthday cake, so we've gotten that baked (she helped!) and frosted and adorned with purple sprinkles.  We'll wait a little closer to tonight's celebration before we put the finishing touches on it and of course, I'll share pictures here. 

Avery is all about some unicorns and I'm just so very grateful that apparently 50,000 other girls are equally obsessed because this means there are bountiful unicorn things out there to curate gift options and party decorations!  I'll share later on what we used for party decor, but please believe me when I say that the unicorn theme is real. 

Avery is funny and also a sour-patch kid (remember those commercials? "First they're sour, then they're sweet").  That is Avery to a T.  She can certainly hold her own against her brothers, but she can also just be so very kind and it's kind of funny to watch the juxtaposition of the two personalities.  She loves to participate in whatever her older brothers are doing, even if she's not quite sure what that is exactly. She basically repeats the last two to three words any of us say (for example, "Noah, go to your room, that was not nice!"  She will say "Noah, room. Not nice!" OR  if Noah says "Michael, let's play police officers after snack." She will say "Officers after snack").  Any random statement or admonition is sure to get a partial repeat. 

She LOVES to be a "big helPER" (emphasis added just like she says it!).  If I'm unloading the dishwasher, she'll stop what she's doing to hand me each piece of silverware individually.  "Here you go.  Fork (except it sounds like "foak"). Here you go.  Spoon.  Here you go. What's this?"  "A knife."  "Oh.  Knife.  I a big helPER!"

She loves to help bake, (especially to stir), do crafts, read books, take baths, use scissors, play dress-up, brush her teeth (seriously), hold her Pat Pat (baby doll), and have her fingernails and toenails painted.  She's such a girly girl and I'm so grateful!  She keeps track of intricate pieces of toys and offers things just the greatest care and attention.  It's so interesting to see her unique personality come into focus these days.  Such a blessing. 

Her favorite TV shows are "Cocomelon" (some weird cartoon nursery rhyme show) and "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" (pronounced "crump-krouse").  She LOVES all things princess but is particular about which movies she likes them in.  She's a die-hard "Frozen" and "Frozen 2" fan.  She prefers the original versions of "Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and the Beast," but likes "Cinderella 3" the best.  She'll also start Moana and Tangled occasionally, but hardly gets through the whole movie before she requests to switch back to her tried and true favorite shows.  She knows the name of Aurora from "Sleeping Beauty" but isn't interested in the movie.  Today she chose to watch "Home Alone" (she actually requested it twice, so we started it twice and got side tracked).  She'll hang tough with her brothers when they choose "boy shows" and she enjoys a good comedy and laughing her way through it.  She's so funny to watch!  She also likes to join in video games by holding a non-connected controller while the rest of us actually play the game.  She'll tell me the character she wants to be, so I'll choose that one for myself, and then she'll pretend to play on the controller before she wanders around the room playing with other toys before pretend-pouting and saying "I didn't win!"  

She likes a good routine and likes to start her day with a sippy cup of milk (we still call it a bottle even though it's not).  She likes to choose her breakfast and lunch options and kind of grazes her way through.  Sometimes (like today) she'll surprise me and ask for a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich as her snack.  She enjoys drinking her water flavored with Crystal Light liquid.  She occasionally has some type of diet soda like her brothers and we put it in a special cup for her and she thinks it's so special.  

It's just such a major joy to have her around!  I'm so so so grateful that God put her into our family plan and gave us a gift we didn't know we were missing.  And despite the craziness in the world around us and the "3 weeks of school break" back in the spring that turned into 5 months, I can find the silver lining when I have days like today-- I got to be home on Avery's birthday and that's miraculous and a gift.  

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of a daughter. 

*I'm writing this after her little celebration we had and the cake turned out so CUTE.  I will share more tomorrow!

Until Next Time, 

Much Love, Reba

32 Things for 32 Years

Today is my birthday and I'm 32!  Being in my thirties is still weird to me.  Mainly because I had always anticipated that being in the '30s meant that I was "getting old" however I don't feel any differently than I did when I was in my 20s.  So it's kind of a mind battle to create the new normal that being in my '30s really isn't that weird at all.

I thought I'd come up with 32 random facts/interests/things about myself.

1. I love to bake.  It's definitely a stress relief for me.

2. I really like the Netflix series "Longmire."  In fact, after Aaron and I finished watching it together, I immediately started rewatching it by myself the next day.

3. I love the "Cat Who" mystery series of books by Lilian Jackson Braun.  I don't think I've made it through the whole series yet, but I can read them in any order and still love them.

4. Bugs (all types) creep me out and it's taking a big leap of courage to hang onto to Noah's classroom set of caterpillars to help them become butterflies.

5. My hair color naturally turned 100% dark brown this past year.  It altered my appearance so much that one of my best friends didn't recognize me when I met up with her last summer.

6. I'd rather be at the beach than any other place.  Not just any beach-- my family beach property.  This is where I feel most relaxed.

7. I love photography, but beat myself up too much at the sharpness and focus of images that I only take pictures of my own children or landscapes.

8. I like to kickbox and would love a kickboxing bag in our shop as a work-out prop.

9. I hate messes although I understand they're a part of life-- especially when children are involved.

10. I prefer order. A tidy desk and bed can certainly change my perception for the day because I feel like I can breathe better.

11. I hate spending money.  Unless it's on other people, then I love it.  This is probably one of the reasons why Aaron and I get along so well.

12. I prefer the end result and really don't enjoy the journey all that much.  This is especially true of working out. I hate the process, but love the results seen after consistency.

13. I am incredibly modest.  I feel very very uncomfortable if I'm not overly modest in my clothing.  This works in my favor as a teacher because I know I'll never be called in for dress code violations.

14. I LOVE being a wife.  Aaron and I really are best friends and that makes our marriage so enjoyable.  We do have our quarrels and arguments, but we ALWAYS make-up that same day.  We are very very different, personality-wise.  We complement each other very well because of this.  We truly love each other and love being together so much.  Our marriage is unlike so many of our friends' marriages and for this, we are grateful.

15. I love being a mom and think that three kids is our perfect number.  I so enjoy having my sons close in age and it's like they have a built-in playmate which can be great!  They are also great helpers for their little sister and can get down on her level to play pretend-make-believe games with her.

16.  Having a daughter is a true blessing.  Although she never wore headbands very often as a baby, she's finally getting to the age that she wants her hair put up in "Elsa braids" and wants to play dress-up.

17. My favorite color is blush pink.

18.  My fingernails are naturally long. I have never had a fake-set put on at a salon.  I used to bite my fingernails terribly short, but started growing them out and now keep them fairly long.

19. I go back and forth between having long hair and short hair.  I've never truly found my "sweet spot" for haircut length.

20.  My love languages are "words of affirmation" and "quality time."

21. I graduated with my undergraduate degree in 3 years.

22. I cannot drive a stick shift.

23.  My two dream vehicles are a black Ford Explorer (2013, which I have) and a matte black Jeep Wrangler 4-door (which I don't have and don't anticipate getting).

24. Problem solving is a forte of mine, but not always appreciated by those with the problems I'm trying to solve.  It's a struggle for me to listen without instantly trying to create a solution in my head.  I'm learning that everyone doesn't always want a solution-- sometimes we just want to be heard.

25. When I'm by myself with my kiddos, I do not drive on the interstate.  I will purposely take the longer way to get to any stores (pre-quarantine) so that I can take back roads.  This is mainly due to driving anxiety, and I figure if I'm on a side road, I can turn around or get help easier than if I was on the interstate in a one-way direction.

26. Sleeping-in doesn't happen much-- even pre-kids.  I'm a morning person which means that by 9:00 o'clock at night, I'm mentally checked out.

27. I have a love-hate relationship with naps.  I love the rest but I hate feeling like I've wasted part of a day.

28. I'm a rule follower through and through.

29.  Out of the three siblings, I believe I am the most protective.

30.  I do stand up for myself and for what is right, but I also feel so terrible if I hurt anyone's feelings.

31. My dad and I drove onto the set of "Lost" while living in Hawaii.  This was accidental and we actually thought it was a real plane crash until a member of the TV crew stopped our truck and told us it was a TV show scene.

32. After growing up wanting to be a busy-body and be on the go constantly, I have discovered that I'm truly a homebody and really would prefer being in my home with my family than anywhere else.



Next year I'll try to think of new things!  It would be fun to have lists with no repeats.  I love reading these posts when others do them, so this was fun!

Until Next Time,
Much Love, Reba

Birthday Interviews (6 years old, 7.5 years old)

I conducted Noah's "birthday interview" this week and Michael thought it sounded like so much fun that he asked if he could do it too.  So, without further ado, here are my boys' birthday (and half birthday) interviews!

Noah: 6 Years Old

What is your name? Noah! (said with a jump!)
How old are you? Six! (said with another jump!)
What is your favorite thing to do? I don't know.  Look at garbage trucks every Monday.
What do you want to be when you grow up? Work at Dad's work.  Be an engineer.
What is your favorite food? Macaroni, and pizza.
Who do you like to spend time with? Mom.
What do you do really well? Homework.
What makes you laugh? Seeing trains.
What is the best time of the day? Food times.
What are you afraid of? Monsters.
Who is your best friend? Michael.
What do you like to do with your family? Go to restaurants.
What do you love to learn about? Learn how to drive one day.
Where do you like to go? To school.
What is your favorite book? The book from Nana and Popa.
If you had one wish, what would it be? That the rain would make snow.



Michael: 7.5 Years Old

What is your name? Michael.
How old are you? Seven and a half.
What is your favorite thing to do? Play video games with my family.
What do you want to be when you grow up? Video game maker.
What is your favorite food? Supreme pizza, spaghetti, macaroni and cheese.
Who do you like to spend time with? Everybody in my family including people who aren't in this house who I know and love.
What do you do really well? Play video games.
What makes you laugh? When someone tickles me on my belly or my ribs.
What is the best time of the day? Snack time.
What are you afraid of? Most likely reason-- the dark.
Who is your best friend? My friend at school named Ethan.
What do you like to do with your family? Play video games with them.
What do you love to learn about? Science.
Where do you like to go? Out to pizza restaurants.
What is your favorite book? All of my Pokemon books and Nintendo books.
If you had one wish, what would it be? To make my own Pokemon game and my own game company.


Well, there you have it!  Two very different boys with two very different views.  I love them both and their sister so dearly!


Until Next Time,
Much Love, Reba

Noah: 6 Years Old!

Noah turned 6 at the beginning of January, but we had his birthday party this weekend so that his school friends could come.  It might just be me in my emotional mommy state, but I can already see a big difference in his attitude from being a 5 year old to being a 6 year old.  (Not to say the tantrums are gone, because they're not... but he's being more helpful around the house which is nice).

He's VERY much into all things police these days, so that seemed like the perfect party theme!  I searched something like "police birthday party ideas for kids" on Amazon and a whole slew of things came up!  He helped me pick out most of his party supplies and all of his favors.  Here's a glimpse of the invitation.  It was SO CUTE.

On his actual birthday, I let him open one of his gifts right away and then we saved the other ones for that night when grandparents came over for cake.

That night, we had a simple yellow cake with cream cheese icing.  He added the black sprinkles at the end.  He wanted to add all of the Halloween sprinkles but I advised against. He had also picked out bright pink strawberry icing and after tasting a tiny bit, I convinced him to use that only in the middle and to use the cream cheese frosting on the outside of the cake.  I used a badge cookie cutter for my template on the decoration.  Fortunately, Noah thought it was great and that's all that really matters. :) 

When assembling his party favors one night this week, I was so impressed with how cute they turned out!  Noah picked out little sheriff badges, handcuffs, and little notepads (for writing tickets of course).  I grabbed some cellophane bags off of Amazon and bundled the items together to make 12 little favor bags.

On Friday night, I made sugar cookies and on Saturday morning I added some yellow food coloring to cream cheese frosting for the tops.

The tablecloths, forks, spoons, two different plate designs, and napkins (and all the favors) were all Amazon purchases.  Noah picked out a variety bulk bag of chips, and we also added a fruit/cheese tray to the table and Capri Suns closer to the start of the party.

Just like for Michael's party, Noah requested the bouncy house, so we blew that up and had it indoors.  This is actually such a great idea no matter what time of year a party occurs.  In August, it was great for Michael's party because we were in the inside with AC.  For Noah's party, it was cold and slightly rainy, so having the bouncy house indoors was a great idea.

Noah had a few kids from his class show up, then we had our friends from church and all of the grandparents again.  It was a good time to connect and meet some new people and allow all of the kiddos a safe place to play and run off LOTS AND LOTS of energy!

I'll share Noah's birthday interview, and subsequently Michael's nearly-seven-and-a-half-year interview since he thought it sounded like so much fun that he wanted to do it too. :)

I continue to be amazed at how much joy these kiddos find in life and in the special events like birthday parties.  It reminds me to find such joy in my own circumstances.

Until Next Time,
Much love, Reba