Chiara's Farm Birthday

When we asked Chiara who she wanted to come to her birthday party her first answer was Grandma so we decided to spend her birthday at the farm this year.  She was delighted.

Licking the beater after Rachel made frosting for her birthday cookies

Chiara's "Mary Poppins" birthday dress

Opening her presents from Asher

Her new Playmobile Swim Center (with water (not included))

Grandma and Granddaddy gave Chiara a purple watch that lights up in 3-4 colors

Thanking Granddaddy for the watch

Great hug!

Rachel, Chiara, and Asher building the swim center

Chiara's birthday cookie

Chiara's 4th Birthday Party

We had Chiara's Birthday party a bit early (the 17th) to avoid the holidays bracketing her actual birthday.  The theme was Mary Poppins (her current interest) and we had chalk painting and kites.  We could not really figure out how to have horse racing or tea parties on the ceiling.  Joey took some of these pictures (the good ones) so thank you to Joey!

Chiara in her Mary Poppins Dress surveying the chalk area.

Some of the chalk drawings

Christie doing some chalk art

Time for cake!

I can't believe Chiara is 4

Rachel made the doll previously but then she made all the new clothes and hat for Chiara's birthday party day.

Mary Poppins cake by Rachel as well.

Joey working on a kite

Chiara got right to the presents!

This busy box has been a huge hit

Asher's Birthday Party

We had Asher's 7th birthday party this weekend. It was the first time we've had a party at a location rather than at our house which had upsides and downsides. On the upside, we didn't need to clean and cook. On the downside, we didn't have as much time to visit with people as usual. The party was at Highland Lanes and 11 children and 3 adults bowled with varying levels of banging, dropping, shouting, and success.

Our camera was low on batteries and then died completely (a downside - we have a spare battery at home but didn't think to bring it). We got only one picture of a guest bowling:


I like that the bowling alley grill is called "Lebowski's":


With the party package, Asher got a bowling pin and some balloons:


And Rachel did her usual amazing job making the cake. The pins were handmade white chocolate and all the kids wanted one.

Chiara's Birthday Party

Chiara will be 3 on December 28th but given the timing of both her birthday and Asher's we had her party early. I think it was our most well attended party ever with more than 30 guests. The theme was tattoos. Rachel and Molly put the finishing touches on Chiara's cake. Rachel had drawn the artwork, then took it to the grocery store so they could print it onto sugar paper.


The Sullivans arrived early so they and Chiara filled the balloons.



Then Chiara got a huge bouquet and danced with them.



Once the guests arrived, the tattooing was fast and furious. Nearly all the kids and some adults got a tattoo or two and some guests got 15-20. Unfortunately I didn't get any good pictures of the array of tattoos once they were done.


We also had spray-on hair color. The other side of my head is equally green and Mackie, Jayna, Mateo, Chiara, and the twins also got copious color in their hair. I didn't get pictures of everyone who got hair color.



The cake was delicious and Chiara blew out the candles well.



And what else can I say but "party hard, crash hard!"