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Merry Christmas You Guys

I'm busy getting ready for Christmas, baking cheesecake (by request), Sugar Cookies (by request), making Rice Krispie treats, and just getting our house ready for the big day. In the midst of that, I wanted to post a few pictures of what's been going on in our house this holiday season, and I'm going to cram it all into one post!

~ Christmas At Disneyland ~

First up, our annual Christmas trip to Disneyland, and our annual photo in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle.

Next stop ~ SANTA!

(Santa liked Cooper's hat)

Disneyland has the best Santa, and they don't shoo you out if you want to take extra pictures.
Cooper told Santa he wants a trash can for Christmas.

He meant a trash truck - Stinky, actually. I have it on good authority that Santa has one of these in his sleigh on it's way to our house.

We watched the Very Merry Christmas Parade.

Toy Soldiers are one of my favorite parts of this parade.

After the parade, we made our way to the castle to watch it light up, and then to Main Street for the fireworks and snow.

Disneyland really is one of the best places to be at Christmastime. It's truly magical.

And exhausting.

~ Christmas at Home ~

This month, I've cut back on the blogging, in an effort to spend more time with my family, and we've been having lots of fun!

We played Santa.

He asked his stuffed animals what they wanted for Christmas, 

then told them to say cheese, while I took their picture.

We donated a toy to Spark of Love Toy Drive at our local Fire Station, and Cooper got a tour of the garage where they keep the big trucks. The fireman and paramedic who showed us around were AWESOME!

We watched Cooper sing in his first Christmas Program,

He's the curly haired blonde in the middle :)

baked cookies,

and posed for photos in our new jammies.

 

Cooper & Gracie (Rick's daughter) in their new matching jammies.

By the way, when you're finished reading this post, head over to Gracie's Mommy's blog Salvage Dior, and wish her a Merry Christmas. Take a moment to look around and read her story. She's an amazingly strong lady, and I'm blessed to call her friend.

~ Christmas Traditions ~

We started some new traditions this year, like Christmas Countdown Books, and opening up a new ornament on the day after Thanksgiving, so we can enjoy it for the whole season. We're continuing the tradition of fish on Christmas Eve, and Prim Rib & Twice Baked Potatoes on Christmas Day (YUM!).

One of my favorite Christmas traditions from my childhood was when my mom and I would bake cookies and watch the John Denver & The Muppets Christmas special.

I will leave you with my favorite scene from the special ~ "Stille Nacht." It's absolutely beautiful, and they sing it in German, which is the way I learned it when I was very young. I remember attending Christmas Eve services with my grandparents, and, being the good Germans that they are, when it came to the part of the service where we sang Silent Night, they always sang in German. Quietly, but nonetheless in their native language. Anytime, I hear the song, I can't help but sing in German as well.

(be sure to turn off the music at the bottom of the page)

May your Christmas be a magical time of year, full of friends, family, good food, and wonderful traditions. May you feel the wonder and joy of that first Christmas day, and may the blessings of peace, love and health be yours in the New Year. We'll see you in 2011!

Merry Christmas you guys!!!

Recently Heard At Our House...

I went to the salon the other day, just like I do every six weeks (I know, I know; but seriously, one of the very few things I do to treat myself) for my regular color and cut (wait, I don't color my hair. really, I don't).

Anyway, the woman before me was going to a fancy Christmas party and wanted a cute hairdo so my stylist, Linda, curled her hair in these big beautiful ringlets. It looked gorgeous and I was envious since I've always wanted curls in my straight as a board super fine hair.

Then later, when Linda was blow drying my hair, I said "think you could curl my hair like you did so-and-so's?" She said "Of course!"

So she did. After I saw it, I was wishing I had talked Rick into a date night that night, since all I was going to be doing was going home. What a shame!

When I walked through the door, the boys were on the couch. Cooper was excited that I was home, but when he jumped up to greet me, he stopped and started to laugh. Not just a little giggle, but big 'ol belly laughs.

"Mommy, you look funny!"

Way to pop that bubble, Coop.

Rick just kind of looked at me and said, "I've never seen you with curly hair before." I gave him the "stupid" look.

Two hours later we were sitting on the couch watching a movie, and Rick turns to me and says, "You know, it's kind of growing on me." I said, "The curly hair?" He said, "Yes, I just thought you should know."

Men.

Well, I LOVED the curls, so I managed to get a couple of Christmas pics in. What do you think?

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Christmas Books Countdown

I had high hopes for creating an advent calendar this year. Yeah, that didn't happen. When I saw this idea popping up on a few blogs, I knew this was the project for me (probably because it was the easiest for me to do). 

I taught preschool for about six years, and my favorite thing to splurge on was books for my classroom. I realized I have about 200 books, 40 of which are Christmas books, that I had collected over those six years! I always knew that my kids would get good use of these books one day.

When I saw this idea for a Christmas countdown, a lightbulb came on and I pulled out all my Christmas books, wrapped 24 of them, stuck them in a box and under the tree. What little one doesn't enjoy opening presents? It's a great way to countdown to Christmas, and to share some of the Christmas story and classic Christmas tales every night.

 

Starting tonight, it will become part of our regular evening routine for the next 24 days.

How do you countdown to Christmas?

We're off to Disneyland tonight to visit Santa and his reindeer, watch the Christmas Fantasy parade and see snow!

 

Today is National Adoption Day

Today also happens to be our own personal adoption day, or "Gotcha Day." It was the day I held my son in my arms for the first time. It was the first time I was called "Mom." The first time I felt there was something in this world that was bigger than me. The first time my life truly revolved around another human being. It was the first time I could say I was truly living the life I was destined to live.

I thought it fitting that I share a post I wrote a while back, about this very day, three years ago...

**********

I've shared various parts of my adoption story; how I came to choose adoption, our finalization day and choosing the date, and some of the steps along the way. Today, I'd like to share the most precious story of our journey.

The day we met.

November, 2007

I was waiting for the phone call, the one that said my baby was ready for me.

At birth, my son had been placed with a wonderful foster mother who had taken great care of him for the first nine weeks of his life. I had already had the presentation, received photos, and waited on pins and needles while a judge decided my child's fate.

I received the call from my Social Worker on November 19, saying that we were clear, and I could finally meet my baby. The plan was for me to go and visit with him the next day, on a Tuesday evening, and come back to pick him up and take him home the following day.

Monday night was filled with much preparation and anticipation. I washed bedding, set up the nursery, and bought an infant car seat and a few outfits, including a "Baby's First Thanksgiving" outfit, since the holiday was just three days away. My purchases were still in my car when I went to visit the foster mom's house the next day.

I barely slept that night, and just plowed through work the next day, as it was really NOT where I wanted to be. I even agonized over what to wear, because, you know, first impressions and all.

The thirty minute car ride to the foster mother's house, I just kept telling myself to breathe. I was about to meet my child for the first time.

When I pulled up, I realized my Social Worker wasn't there yet, and I was 20 minutes early. My heart was racing as I walked up the pathway to the front door and rang the bell.

A child answered, and went to get her mother, who came down the hall with an infant wrapped in a soft blue and white striped blanket. Tears filled my eyes as she placed the baby in my arms. 

"Here's your baby," she said, smiling; and to my son, "Meet your Mama."

I just held him and looked at him for the next 30 minutes until the Social Workers arrived. Like I mentioned, the plan was that this would be just a visit and I would come back and pick him up the next evening. The foster mom questioned the Social worker, "Why can't she just take him home tonight?"

I don't think I took a breath for the next minute while the Social Workers pondered her suggestion.

"I guess that would be ok." That's when my mind started racing. Could I really do this alone? "Do you have a car seat?"

I told the Social Worker I had purchased the car seat, but hadn't even taken it out of the box yet. That had been on tonight's agenda! They set it all up for me while I just got to hold my baby.

I signed the paperwork, gathered up his belongings, said goodbye to the Social Workers and hugged the foster mom. We were off to start our lives together.

I remember praying in my heart as I secured him in the car, asking God for guidance, and above all thanking him for the most precious gift of my life.

We Have Allergies

I finally took the plunge and had allergy skin tests performed on Cooper last week. It was awful.

I had to hold my baby down while they poked him in the back with needles 22 times.

He kicked, he cried, he screamed "Please stop!" I tried really hard not to do the same. It was heart-wrenching.

Then I had to keep him from itching his back as welts started appearing almost immediately.

On a scale of one to five, he scored a four on peanuts, walnuts, eggs, shellfish, cats, dogs, dust mites and mold. He also had significant reactions to sesame and a few other things.

They made me watch a video on dust mites. I came home and, feeling like the worst mother in the world, stripped the kids' bedroom of every sheet, blanket, and curtain and washed them all, vacuuming and cleaning as best as I could. They also sent me home with inhalers, and other asthma medication, as it's presumed that he may have asthma as well.

I suppose the best thing out of all of this, is that now we know. Not having any family history as a guide, I never knew if there was a higher risk with any of the more common allergens.

We are now in a period of adjustment. This week has been completely overwhelming for me, and every little thing seems to send me into a tailspin. My body is reacting to the stress worse than it ever has. On top of all of the allergy testing, we were down to one car this week and had a huge repair bill we had to take care of, plus added stress at work and numerous other incidentals.

I guess I'm angry. I'm angry that I had to subject my son to such painful testing. I'm angry that I have no family history to fall back on. I'm angry that I never took his "dislike" or certain foods seriously. I'm angry that we are now having to change our lifestyles to accommodate all of these allergies. I'm angry that he will now be labeled as "that kid" in his class.

We went to a party today and the host had made cake pops for the kids to eat instead of having a large cake. Cooper chose one and started to eat it. After a minute he came back to me and said, "Mommy, I don't like peanut butter." His mouth started to hurt and his throat was itchy, but thankfully, a little Benadryl got him feeling better. I assumed the host knew and I hadn't even thought to ask what was in them. I'm angry at myself for that too.

Like I said, we are in a period of adjustment, but I'm faithful that God is walking beside, holding my hand and wiping my tears. The cake pop incident was a wake up call for me, and I know now that I have to be on top of my game all of the time.

How We Spent Our Halloween Weekend

Our Halloween festivities began on Thursday night with pumpkin carving.

Cooper had a bit of a meltdown so there aren't many pictures of the actual carving.

But I do have a fabulous before and after for you!

Before:

After:

On Saturday, Cooper's preschool hosted a "Fun Fest" carnival. I had a photo booth and took hay bale photos for eight tickets a pop.

On the BIG day, Cooper FINALLY got to get all decked out in his costume.

The cutest Woody you've ever seen right?

We knocked on exactly three doors in our neighborhood. Not because that's all we wanted to do, but that's how many participate on our happy little cul-de-sac.

We spent the rest of the evening at a carnival at Rick's daughter's church. We played games, and got lots of candy and cute prizes.

The vendors were really great with this little guy, even helping him "win."

We had a wonderfully busy weekend, although I am truly exhausted today.

Now it's on to planning for the next big holiday - BLACK FRIDAY!! Oops, I mean Thanksgiving...

Remember these marshmallow pumpkins? Well I've been coming up with some ideas for Thanksgiving and Christmas marshmallows, so stick around!

This weekend is the Grandma-to-be party I told you about here. I'll have a post on that next week. 

See, I told you there was lots going on around here! See you soon!!

Looking For the Great Pumpkin

My favorite thing about this time of year is visiting the pumpkin patch. I think it has to do with one of my favorite movies of all time "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown." One of my earliest memories is of watching it when I was little. I tried to get Cooper to sit and watch it with me, but ten minutes in and that was it. I guess Linus and Sally aren't as exciting as Shrek and Fiona.

Last week Cooper's preschool class went to a local Pumpkin Patch. What I love about this patch is that it's completely run by a local high school and is located on their campus. We got to go out into the patch and pick our own pumpkin for just three dollars, no matter the size or type. Very cool.

Here's my boy with his very own pumpkin.

 

They also had some livestock. Cooper made friends with a goat.

I mentioned you could choose a pumpkin of any size AND type. This is what I was talking about:

I tried to talk him into one of those, but he preferred this one. I guess it fits better in his lap anyway.

Hope you enjoyed our trip to the pumpkin patch as much as we did. We're carving pumpkins on Thursday evening, so come back on Friday and see how they turned out!

(Make sure to visit Supermom and I Should Be Folding Laundry for more great photos. )

I Love You Mama

We were on our way home from preschool today, and Cooper was buckled in his carseat, reading the new borrowed books he had just received as part of their "Raising a Reader" Program. He was telling tales of the pictures he saw, and gently pushing my seat with his feet.

As we were pulling into the driveway, he looked up and said "I love you Mama," and went back to talking about his book.

That moment took my breath away.

My son has a very tender heart inside his very active body. He is stubborn and willful and loud. He runs from me at bath time, then screams that he doesn't want to get out. He climbs out of bed five times before finally settling down for the night. He refuses to eat his dinner and deliberately throws playdough on the floor. 

The past several weeks have been rough with this little boy. He is struggling with independence, and I am struggling for control. Through it all I have moments when I question the sanity of my choice.

But at that moment, all of that melted away and my heart swelled as a wave of joy washed over me. I was reminded of why I am a mother. 

I looked at my son in the rearview mirror and was taken back for a moment at just how big he is getting. He used to look so small in that carseat, his toes barely reaching the edge. Now his blonde curls are peaking out over the top and his legs are kicking my seat. The little baby sounds he used to make have been replaced with tales of dinosaurs and dragons. I realize that he is growing up and soon enough he won't be there, and that awareness makes me cherish these moments even more.

Winnie the Pooh Life Lesson No. 2

"And by and by Christopher Robin came to an end of things, and was silent, and he sat there, looking out over the world, just wishing it wouldn't stop."

-A. A. Milne

The Winnie the Pooh series by A. A. Milne is such an amazing collection of life lessons that are relatable to people of all ages. This particular quote talks of change, of moving on, of growing up. Christopher Robin had Pooh as a child, and when he gew up and went off to school, he outgrew Pooh.

When I watched my son walk off to preschool for the first time, I couldn't believe it was really THAT time. That he had grown up to be a strong, independent, tender, loving three year old. Time just seems to go by faster when you have children.

Sometimes, I wish he was still the sweet little infant I used to rock to sleep with "Baby Mine." But now he sings it to me.

Sometimes I wish I could have held him just a little bit longer. But those grip your neck, knock you down hugs sure are pretty sweet.

Sometimes I wish it was easier, because that independent three year old can sure push my buttons. But he can sure make my heart swell too.

Sometimes I long for the spontaneous trips I used to take. But then I remember, that for the last three years, home is my favorite place to be.

Change is a part of life. It's almost always hard. But sometimes, change is good.

October 2 - A Tribute to Family

Tomorrow is October 2, 2010.

Tomorrow marks the second anniversary of Cooper legally becoming a part of our family.

It would also be my dad's 72nd birthday.

I thought I would share with you a couple of posts I wrote back in April & May. A special tribute to the history of this day in our family.

October 2  (Repost)

My Cooper came home in November of 2007. Thanksgiving that year was amazing, full of family, love and joy at this new arrival. My dad, who had been very sick for several years, had a great day, and was so excited to meet his grandson, who was just ten weeks old. My dad died just five weeks later.

Cooper with Grandpa & Gram on Day 1

Fast forward to September of 2008. I was preparing to sign adoption papers, to finalize Cooper's adoption. The attorney called me to set up a time for the court finalization. The day it would all be official. No more court dates. No more Social Worker visits. No more sitting on pins and needles waiting, hoping, praying. She told me I could request a date that would work for us, or that was significant to me. Her exact words were, "If you wanted, say, October 2, we could ask for that." My heart skipped a beat, and I felt my face get hot, as tears filled my eyes.

October 2 was my dad's birthday.

My dad and me on his birthday10 years ago.

I slowly asked her why she mentioned that date. She told me it was her son's birthday. I said, "That's the day I want. That was my dad's birthday and he died shortly after meeting Cooper."

The Attorney was quiet for a moment, then said, "I'll do everything I can to request that date."

Grandpa & Cooper watching Ducks Hockey

A few weeks later, I received a letter in the mail, stating that our court date was indeed scheduled for October 2. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing. This would be the first birthday since he died, and what could have been a day to mourn, became a day to dance. I couldn't think of a more perfect way to honor my dad.

On October 2, I cried again, as the judge said that he was mine. Forever mine. I cried happy tears for us, and for my dad, who I know was with us that day. We'll celebrate that day every year, and it will not only be about how we became a family, but about sharing with Cooper about his Grandpa, and how much he loved him.

"There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven: 

a time to be born and a time to die...

a time to mourn and a time to dance..." Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

Signed, Sealed, Finalized!  (Repost)

There are many important dates in an adoption:

"Gotcha" Day (as some refer to the day you bring your child home)

The .26 Hearing (the day parental rights of the natural parents are terminated)

The Signing (the day legal papers are signed before the adoption can be finalized)

The Finalization (The final court hearing when the child is legally yours) 

These are the most memorable for me, although every adoptive parent has their own. I've shared before about the importance of the date I chose for our finalization, but today I'm going to talk a little bit about the day itself.

I don't remember what time we got to the courthouse, or how long it took to get inside. I don't remember much of what the judge or the attorney said. It was an overwhelming day; I was overwhelmed with the feelings and emotions of exactly what that day meant.

I had heard stories about adoptive parents getting emotional during their finalization hearing, and I was determined to keep myself together. The judge asked if I agreed to “bestow upon him all the rights of a natural-born child?” With a lump in my throat, I nodded, yes. Then he told me we were bound together forever as parent and child, and the tears came. Nearly seven years of agony were over. I was a mother in every sense of the word.

This is the only picture I have of us with the judge. Sorry, the lighting was terrible...

There is something inherently different about adoption - with childbirth, no one asks you if you promise to love and keep your child, but with adoption, you make a verbal and legally binding commitment to the child whom you have chosen to parent.  You stand before a judge, and numerous other county employees, and make a conscious decision to take on the responsibility of the life another human being.

It was the greatest, most selfless thing I have ever done.

Words That Matter

I've been finding a lot of meaningful quotes lately, that I would love to put up all around my house, as small reminders of what's most important in my life. My son, my family, my faith. Since I really don't have the wall space to keep adding framed words, I thought I would begin sharing them here.

Im thinking that each week, I will share a new quote and why it's meaningful to me. I would love to hear how it touches you as well.

I saw this quote on the adoption blog Grown in My Heart the other day...

Christopher Robin looked long and hard at Pooh's face.

"Are you learning me by heart?" asked Pooh.

"No," he answered, "I know you by heart. You are inside my heart."

-A.A. Milne

Oh yeah, this one got me. Actually, a lot of A.A. Milne's words get to me, but this one more than others.

"I know you by heart. You are inside my heart."

That pretty much sums up what adoption means to me. My son is a part of me, and I him. We are not connected by biology, but by our hearts. And there is no stronger bond than the bond of love.

Birthday Parties at Goofy's Kitchen

One of the greatest things about Disneyland is getting to meet the characters, and the best way to do this, is through a Character Dining Experience. Within the Disneyland Resort, there are multiple opportunities, both in the parks and at each of the hotels:

Disney's California Adventure: Ariel's Grotto
Disneyland: Plaza Inn
Disneyland Hotel: Goofy's Kitchen
Paradise Pier Hotel: PCH Grill
Grand Californian Hotel: Storyteller's Cafe

My mother started a tradition with Cooper's first birthday to take him to Goofy's Kitchen, a Character dining Experience at the Disneyland Hotel, where you join Chef Goofy, and a whole cast of other characters (this changes daily). This was our third year visiting, and we all had a fabulous time.

As you enter the restaurant, you're greeted by Pluto and have a chance for a few photos with your whole party (make sure to have them take photos with your camera, as well as theirs). Later, during your meal, get your cameras ready as you are visited by several different characters, including Chef Goofy!

The great thing about character dining experiences is that each of the characters (there are usually five) comes to your table and interacts with children and adults alike, signing autograph books, and posing for pictures. We had a few that spent quite a lot of time with us.

The buffet style food was A-MA-ZING! From prime rib, to Pork Loin, to Leg of Lamb, Rock Shrimp Pasta, Pot Stickers, a fabulous salad bar and amazing desserts, the food certainly did not disappoint. The kids food buffet consisted of Peanut Butter Pizza, Macaroni & Cheese Pizza, as well as other traditional pizza flavors, Hot Dogs, Macaroni and Cheese, Popcorn Shrimp, and Spaghetti & Meatballs. They were busy so I didn't get any photos of the food.

Birthdays are celebrated almost every ten minutes it seems, as this is the perfect place for a celebration! Adults and children alike all were sporting "Happy Birthday" buttons.

Free of charge, the birthday boy or girl receives a birthday button, a card signed by many of their favorite characters, and a cupcake. Some of the wait staff and one or two characters will also join your table to sing happy birthday.

Each of the characters in the restaurant that night came around and spent several minutes with us, playing with the kids and posing for photo ops. We met Chef Goofy, Minnie, Snow White, Jasmine and Chip!

At $31.99 for adults and $13.99 for children, it's a little pricey, but you're getting great food and a truly unique dining experience. I just love this tradition, it gives Cooper a chance to celebrate his birthday with the people he loves the most, and a chance for a more intimate party before the big blow-out (read all about his carnival birthday party here). Life should be celebrated, and when this family celebrates, we go all out!

Goofy's Kitchen is the only one of the five character dining experiences that offers lunch and dinner. the other restaurants offer a Brunch and prices are roughly $24-$25 per person, and $12-$13 for children. Children under three years are free.

When planning your visit to the Disneyland Resort, remember to make Priority Seating requests by calling Disney Dining (714-781-DINE). You can call up to 60+ days in advance.

Cooper's Carnival Birthday Party!!

The weekend of Cooper's birthday passed as quickly as it came.

For his actual birthday, we celebrated with dinner at Goofy's Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel. If you haven't been to a Character Dining Experience at either Disney Resort, you should! It's amazing, the kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and, while a little on the expensive side, it's well worth it. More of our family party in my next post.

Today is all about the big CARNIVAL PARTY!

Using inspiration from Adriana at and baby makes three as my jumping point, I planned and prepared for nearly four months, and I'm happy to say that the party went off without a hitch!!

I'm extra grateful to have some wonderful photographers on hand, Rick and his son Chris, who shot all of these wonderful photos. They are amazing, and Chris definitely shares his dad's talent for photography. Enjoy the pictures! (I will include a list of resources at the end).

STEP RIGHT UP, COME ON IN...

The tables were covered with yellow tablecloths and topped with white butcher paper. Centerpieces were just some simple greens in a vase tied with balloons. I set out crayons for a little creative expression.

Even the grown-ups enjoyed the coloring.

 

 

I placed some bright blue pails around the treat table, filled with candy. (the tags on the lollipops say "Thank you for coming. Hope you had a sweet time!").

The Menu:

The food was a hit! We cooked the hot dogs beforehand and wrapped them in foil to keep them warm. I also made a pasta salad for the adults (I'll be sharing that recipe soon - it's my favorite go-to for potlucks). Caramel apples were sliced apples with caramel dip.

Of course no carnival is complete without fresh popped popcorn! We filled retro popcorn bags with microwaved popcorn for our guests to munch on.

I found these red cups at Target, that came with lids and straws (not the ones pictured). $2.99 for 15! They were perfect for the cute clown straws I had purchased.

For the cupcakes I borrowed this three tiered stand from a friend, who found it at a local flea market.

It was perfect for displaying Mama's Homemade Cupcakes.

I made the cupcake toppers in Publisher. I printed them on cardstock, cut the two inch squares and attached them to coffee stir sticks with double sided tape.

I still wanted Cooper to have his own special cake, so I purchased a giant, plain cupcake at my local grocery store and iced it like a cake.

 Cooper thought it was pretty cool.

My friend Vanessa is multi-talented. Not only is she an amazing teacher and awesome Polynesian dancer, but she does some pretty fantastic face painting as well. Since she loves my Cooper too, she offered to provide face painting for his birthday party. She did an amazing job and we were so grateful!

 Cooper's Snake.

We also had a jumper to help balance out some of the quieter activities!

 

Even some of the mommies got in on the action...in dresses no less!

 

Yes, that's me, getting knocked down by a seven year with way better balance!

Now, for my favorite part of the party, we also had a Photo Booth! I saw a few of these around blogland and thought, "I can do this!" But, I didn't want to spend the money for fabric for the background that I would probably never use again. Then I remembered that Grandma has a cute polka dot blanket, and voila! Instant background! 

Everyone really enjoyed the photo booth, but I'll let the pictures speak for themselves!

  

 

I even kept Cooper's big birthday present to the "Carnival" theme:

 

Seriously, this Roller Coaster by Step2 is one of the coolest toys ever! The kids all had a great time taking turns on it.

To end the day, everyone got a party favor bag filled with carnival prizes to take home.

Cute Rice Krispie Treats courtesy of Grandma.

This party was probably the most detailed I've ever put on, and everyone had a great time! Cooper especially enjoyed himself - I don't think the smile left his face all day. I hope you enjoyed the pictures!!

Endless thank yous to Rick, my hunky partner in crime, who put up with three months of party planning and decor everywhere, my never-ending outbursts of "look how cute this!!" and who helped with everything from pick-up to set-up to clean-up. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Chris for the amazing photography and willingness to take on any job that was needed of him (from bagging popcorn to decorating cupcakes), to Vanessa and Jennifer for their ideas and for being my cheerleaders, Kathryn for loaning us the cupcake stand, and Grandma for all of her help in making sure this party went off without hitch.

 

Resources:

Digital Party Pack (used for the party favor tags and Happy Birthday signs): Typewink on Etsy

Cooper's Birthday Shirt: Made Cute Just 4 U on Etsy

Framed Signs: Made in Publisher by me, using backgrounds from the digital party pack

Blue Buckets: Target (dollar aisle)

Roller Coaster: Amazon

Clown Noses: Small Toys

Party Favors/Prizes:

Clown Straws, Bird Whistles, Retro Popcorn Bags: Hey Yo Yo on Etsy

Ice Cream Shooters, Super Balls, Lollipops, Sticky Hands, Mini Pinwheels: SmallToys

Inspiration:

Adrianna @ and baby makes three

Whimsy & Wise Events

Linking to:

My Delicious Ambiguity

The Shabby Nest

The Girl Creative

Someday Crafts

Bella Before & After

Bird Crafts