Party Time!

Lily is 7 years old today! Let's take a look at this cute little birthday girl~ (I remembered to do a birthday photo!)

Say "cheese"!

Last year Lily celebrated her birthday in Brazil, shortly before we were to return home. I told her then that we'd try to do a party after we got back, and I had full intentions of coming through, but then we had a baby and it never happened. The same good intentions and fail happened with Wesley (who's birthday is on Saturday). So, I really had to do a party this year. A week ago we planned it all out, and we decided to do them on the same day. Yes, it will be a little crazy, but I was trying to accommodate the birthday boy: Wesley had some friends who were going to be out of town on Friday that he wanted to invite. That's okay, Lily was fine to share her birthday, and so I spent Monday through Wednesday gearing myself up. It had the potential to exhaust me, but luckily I listened to a talk about Enduring on Monday (great talk, totally hit the spot) and I've resolved to "be the rock the river cannot wash away" -  SO - let's do this!! So first things first: I woke up and got myself in a good calm zone with a morning walk. After I got back I woke up the kids, I let Lily open her presents from Corey and me~

Then she disappeared into her room to play and was no help to me getting ready, but it's her birthday and she can do what she wants to, right? So the other kids helped make cupcakes and put up balloons. Lily's party was going to be from 1 until 3. Then an hour break to recoop before Wesley's party from 4 to 7. Natalie ate her breakfast as she played with one of Lily's new ponies. And I just thought she looked so cute, just like an adorable 2 year old, but almost three! Just a month until her birthday!

Doesn't she look like she's ready for a party? Those are her "rainbow pants" and cute little tutu - She is just a precious little girl. So, Lily decided on a "Animal Party" and wanted to paint faces, so that was the main activity for her fiesta. When the first guest came, I started doing the faces. Of course Natalie was first, cause she's queen. It's so fun how kids sit so still and serious for face painting...

Then I did two of Lily's friends, and Mel asked to help. Her work put me to shame. I was way impressed with her puppy.

After I did five faces, I passed all face painting responsibility over to Mel because 1) I needed to manage the fun/chaos... you know, stuff like serving up ice cream and cleaning cake up off the floor and because 2) she is just way better than me. Just check out her cheetah!

Lily and her friend Ashley played tag with the zebra being chased by the cheetah round and round the house. Behind them is a little "Tape the Tail on the Zebra" poster that Mel made that morning for Lily's b-day version of pin the tail on the donkey.

I told the other kids to each plan a game for the birthday party. Hyrum did pomp - changing it to "crocodile in the middle" and Abi did hot potato with a zebra stuffed animal, and "zebra zebra Lion" aka duck duck goose. Her friends posed for a picture for me before the party was over. Cute kids.

I think Lily and her friends all had a good time. After everyone left, Abi and Sophi could finally have a turn getting their faces done. Mel and Abi figured out that it was easier on both of them if Abi just lied down as she got painted.

Then Sophi's and Natalie turn. 

Sophi just had some butterfly-ish decorations on.

Natalie wanted to get done again. She did not hold still very well this second time.

We decided to make her Super Natalie with a super hero mask. Kinda funny. She rubbed it off a bit while it was still wet.

The Super Hero thinks she needs some cake!

Not yet Natalie... you're not turning 11, plus there is one more party to host, and then we'll cut up that cake for you. For Wesley's party, he had chosen to have a water fight. As his friends began to arrive, they worked together in the back yard and filled up water balloons and put them in buckets. After everyone was here the official fight began. Wes asked Corey if he could join them (Corey was able to come home early and got here right before 4). The first part of the waterfight was relatively tame and controlled.

It was good the first hour. Hour two got a little intense. The hose got sprayed in the house a few times (by Ethan getting Corey first then another time getting Hyrum.) Joseph joined in, giving the young kids another person to gang up on. The fight went from just the back yard into the front yard too - they needed another hose.

Our front railing that you can see in that picture above is very weathered and is kinda falling apart. It looked really bad near the end of the fight. Ethan said it was from Joseph climbing on it. There were many posts knocked out. I'm afraid the whole thing is just gonna fall over, so that's when I called the fight and told everyone to go in the back yard for pizza. After pizza, time to sing happy birthday. Happy Birthday to you ..."in two more days!" (Wesley sang that after each line, he insisted on being correct on the actual date of his birth).

Make a wish, Wes!

After that, he opened gifts on the trampoline and they admired his toys and gifts until one by one they were picked up by their nice parents.

So, that was our party day. I hope everyone had a good time. Anything else we still need to do today? Yes, I'm going to go to bed early. :) Goodnight!