E's family birthday party...

After several weeks of delay due to sickness and crazy schedules, we were finally able to have E's family birthday party! Poor E, she's been so confused...with all of the birthday celebrating, she cannot figure out if her birthday is "over" yet or not. This morning, she saw that I'd already turned my calendar to June. She said "Mom, I do not want it to be June yet, that means my birthday is really over now!). Yes, baby, I think it really is over now, after several parties, a tea party, playdates and all kinds of fun!

E has told me for months that she wanted a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and that she wanted a "Curious George party"....so we made it happen! Such fun!

Birthday Sunday at church...

2007

2008

2009

2010

Why are these photos so special? Click here to read all about it...

The Treats: Birthday party tea

I had such fun putting together treat buckets for the little girls and treat bags for the mommies for E's birthday tea. It gave me an opportunity to use these again, and to gather up some fun little treats for everyone. Such a delight!

The Menu: Birthday party tea

What is more fun than tea party food?!

Little ladies and their mommies enjoyed noshing on:

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Cheese, Crackers, Meat

Frosty's Fruit Salad

Green Garden Salad

Mini Banana Bread Bites

(made in this adorable pan)

Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting

Oreo Truffles

Wordless Wednesday...

Recap: Birthday tea party play date with friends

What better way to celebrate a fourth birthday than with a girl-y tea party? After reading about so many of the cute tea parties that friends have hosted with their daughters, I knew I wanted to host something similar for E's birthday. I wanted to keep the number of guests very small and simply focus on the experience of having fun with dear friends. I also wanted to take some time to teach E about hospitality and graciously welcoming guests into our home.

E invited her best-friend-from-school Emma and her best-friend-from-church Hailey. These little ladies had such a fun time together simply playing, enjoying dress up, doing crafts and enjoying lunch (and chocolate cake!) together. Such a fun, special day!

Coming Thursday: the tea party menu!

Happy Birthday...

...to my Daddy! I love you!

Recap: E's birthday evening = Mother's Day Tea at school!

(Girl mommies: Want to get your little sweetie

a cute dress like E is wearing?

Contact Alexia Jean Designs...cute stuff!)

Recap: E's birthday day...

Recap: E's monkey birthday party at school

The harvest is plentiful...

Remember our newly-expanded vegetable garden and my nifty hanging tomato plant? The hard work is starting to pay off! Woo hoo! The tomatoes are in full swing at our house. I'm picking a handful of cherry tomatoes just about every day.

Wordless Wednesday...

Domestic Diva: Getting Crafty

This year, E wanted a Cur*ous George theme for her family birthday party and the small celebration she would have at school. I had such fun making birthday party invitations and school treat bags with these fun new punches I purchased recently. Now, I am not a die-hard scrap-booker like many of my friends, and I do not consider myself overly creative, but I will admit, I had a lot of fun creating these little goodies!

Uninvited house guests....

Just because are lives are not exciting enough...

Anybody recognize these unwelcome little "friends?"

Yes, they're termites. No, they are not eating my house....yet.

They are attacking a shrub in our backyard.

Bug man said it's the weirdest thing he's ever seen.

Appropriate and expensive (!) measures are being taken.

Ugh!

Germs, germs, go away!

When E was sick a few weeks ago, we had a lot of this:

When little ones are so sick that they are silent and still, it's always just awful. I wish I could have taken on this sickness for her. Makes me think of what I read on another mommy's blog recently... She was lamenting that she wished she could switch places with her child and take on all of her sweet child's pain and suffering for him....she then said it makes her love Jesus even more, knowing that's what He did for all of us. Amen, dear sister in Christ, Amen!