HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVIE - 5!

Eve LOVES cake

I know it was over two months ago, but holy cow, I forgot to tell you about it! So this is a bit late, but still really fun.

We were blessed this year to have Nana and Papa in town. They were just going to miss little Eve's bday, so we celebrated a bit early by going to Chuck E. Cheese. We had never been to ours in town here, but it was so much fun. The kids loved it, I loved it, grandparents loved it. It was a good time.

Liz and Eve having fun together!

Evie made this face for each gift - she was very excited!

We all had yummy pizza and even Liz got a special CEC cup

Thx Nana and Papa! We love you! (Joe - don't fall off!)

Later we were going to do a lot of fun things with her friends closer to her big day, but it also happened to be around the time that the tornadoes hit the south. Well, our local leaders asked for volunteers to go to other states to help out with the relief efforts so Eve's bday party got moved several times as the date and time of the helping was switched several times. By the time I had set date for Evie's bday, I didn't want to do anything huge or complicated. So we had her birthday on the 11th instead of the exact day, the 9th. It was sooooooo much fun and actually well attended!

We took the whole party to our McDonald's play place. I remember having birthdays at McD's with the cake and balloons and special birthday area, even Ronald himself. That don't do any of that anymore, but we definitely didn't miss it.

The kids ate and played and then it was birthday time. The staff there were so good to us with helping us clean up and letting us light candles indoors. I was grateful and it was fun and simple. My little girl is getting so big!

opening her gifts with her friends

they were all so excited for her - what great friends she has

Her best friends were all there. This little gift is from her really good friend, Aiden Crandall. His mom told me that he was VERY particular about the picture of himself he put in the little frame for her. Evie LOVES it. She looks at it often and talks about her friend Aiden. It was so cute.

Other friends that came were the Taylor boys, Graden and Max. We had just met the Taylors a little before this so it was awfully nice that they came. Parker Catron is also a good friend. Both the Crandall and Catron boys end up at our house regularly because their moms are my visiting teachers and they are very diligent in their calling. They both babysit from time to time for me and I for them. Then we had the sweet little girls from Evie's preschool group: Kiera Madix, Emily Howard, and Rachel Chorey. They are great friends and all very nice children. Evie was really happy to see so many of her friends. (I was so happy to see them too! Last year's birthday was not well attended. I think this year she would have noticed if some had not come.)

They were all very friendly, generous, and fun to watch as Evie dove into her birthday party. What a great time we all had! Thx to all of you who helped make my little girl's birthday such a good one.