Tag: Birthday Party

Bunny Birthday Bash

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Abby’s friend from preschool was celebrating her 5th birthday and both of the girls were invited. They were certainly excited for a birthday party in general, but when the girls found out that there would be bunnies there…. all bets were off. What a fun and happy birthday party and who can resist a cuddly fuzzy bunny! I know I couldn’t and neither could Shaun! We called him the bunny whisperer. They all seemed to calm down and snuggle up with him every time we picked one up. So cute!

Waiting patiently to hold the bunnies. A few rules first.

Look at that sweet face and wittle bunny nose!

Bunnies and school friends!

So happy to be bunny snugglin’.
So proud to be holding a bunny
Surrounded by bunnies!
Love this little girls smile!
Another bunny!!
This little bunny kept coming up to Ellie for loves and snuggles. Who can argue with that?
Are you still in there little bunny?
Such a big smile! Its amazing what an animal can do.
Daddny helping Ellie wrap up a bunny. This little guy was super calm and happy to be held by Ellie
Makes my heart melt.
This little guy couldn’t get enough love from Daddy and Ellie
Daddy, the bunny whisperer. This little guy snuggled right in and started to fall asleep!
Carrots!
Bunny love. And no… I wasn’t allowed to take one home!

A Party, Ferry Rides and Fun Road Trips

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 Today was yet another day of fun and excitement for all of us. It was a day of fun, adventure and a party. A party, you ask? Yep, it was Abby’s very first Birthday Party since moving to Seattle! Her new friend at school was having a party and Abby was invited. She couldn’t have been more excited about it.

The party was at the local YMCA and had a princess theme. Everyone was to wear their best princess dresses. . They played in the big playroom, pretended to running through the castle while being chased by dragons and bad guys and did some arts and crafts. After playtime it was food, cake and presents for the birthday girl, Isa! When it was time to go, Abby was a bit sad to leave but so happy that she had been invited and had such a fun time. As a parent it makes me happy to see that my kiddo is settling into to her new home and making friends.
All decked out with her goodies from Isa’s birthday party. Such a happy and excited little party goer.
Even though the party was over, the fun was not! Daddy, Grandma Zoe and Ellie picked us up from the party and we were off for an adventure together in the car. Today, despite the rain, we thought we would take Grandma across the sound to Kingston and over to Port Gamble. We wanted to show her a new favorite spot of ours and do a bit of exploring too. The ferry ride was wet and choppy, so we opted to stay in the car most of the way over.
We stopped in Port Gamble expecting it to be busy but to our surprise it was quiet. The Lumberjack Festival that was supposed to be running had been canceled. The storm that weekend created some problems and high winds the night before, knocked over one of the carnival rides. The town had to pull the plug on it for the safety of its patrons. A bit disappointing but we still made our time there fun. We went into the General Store, which is full of fun treats and the best hot chocolate and coffee drinks EVER. Grandma Zoe did a bit of shopping and when we had had out fill we hopped back into the car. We had planned to spend more time there but since plans had changed we opted to do some exploring and head to Port Townsend. 
Port Townsend is another beautiful little town with lots of historic charm. Shaun and I had been there once before, back during our first adventures in Seattle before the girls were born. Our real estate agent was having an open house for our home that was now on the market, so we took Jack and head out for the day to do some exploring. Our travels took us to Port Townsend and we thought it was a beautiful place. Since our plans today had changed, we thought it would great to head back that direction and it wasn’t too far away.
One of the old ferry docks that still stands in Port Townsend.
Low grasses along the sea edge in Fort Worden State Park
Looking out into the sound towards Whidbey Island and Vancouver Island in Fort Worden State Park. Quite a choppy day but so beautiful
A doe with her two little babies came out of the woods into some of the grassy areas for the evening. The little ones were still young enough to have their spots.
The whole gang enjoying the early evening hours. Too cute!
Port Townsend City Hall and Court House
Lighthouse home on the hill, Port Townsend, Washington

The trip out to Port Townsend was beautiful. It was stormy but the clouds were starting to break up a bit. We drove down Main Street to see the historic buildings and look at the shops. We had hoped to stop and walk through town but because it was later in the afternoon on a Sunday, most of the shops and restaurants were closed. So, we enjoyed what we could see and then drove out to Fort Worden State Park, which has some beautiful scenery and views. We headed down to the lighthouse and stopped along one of the beaches. On a clear day you can see Vancouver Island from that spot. Abby thinks its pretty neat that she can see Canada from there.

After our drive through the old fort and military outpost, (think the Presidio but on a much smaller scale) and spotting a little family of deer, we headed back out and over to Bainbridge Island to take the ferry into the city. We stopped for a bite to eat at the Madison Diner where things got interesting near the end of our dinner. Another storm was blowing in and the power was knocked out while we ate! Ellie could have cared less but Abby was not to thrilled about. Luckily it was out for only a minute and soon we were on our way home on the ferry.

We were all exhausted by the time we got home, but it was for a good reason. We had such a lovely time together! Starting tomorrow its back to reality and school. But good things are ahead of us. Shaun starts his new job this week! More on that later though…

A Little Mermaid Rockin’ Kids Party!

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Our littlest monkey is turning three in a few short days. Three! I really cannot believe it. I honestly don’t know where the time has gone. I say that every year with each of the girls birthdays but its the truth. I don’t know where the time has gone!
This year, because of the move, we opted to have a party away from the house. We knew that by this time we would be knee deep in boxes with most of our kitchen packed and we wouldn’t have a proper place for people to sit. So we decided to have Ellie’s Ariel themed birthday party at their favorite play place, Rockin’ Kids in Simi Valley.
Enjoying some play time with their favorite boyfriend, Harrison.
The adorable little birthday girl already sweaty from running around and playing with friends.
Sisters having a blast!
The Little Mermaid party theme! There was only so much decorating that I could do but I thought it looked cute.
Balloons and party bags from the Birthday Girl!
The dads have to keep busy too! The best way to do that is by playing a little air hockey.
The whole gang taking a snack and hydration break. 
Big cheese from the Birthday Girl.
So great to see familiar faces! Thank you to Barbara and Mile for coming to a kids place to hang out even though their kid is close to graduating from college.
Abby, Ellie and Grandma Zoe enjoying some snacks and smiles!
The cake! Super bummed that I didnt get to make it this year or even get her traditional ice cream cake, but this one was delicious.
Blue frosting tongue! That, or he just ate a smurf!
“Touch my presents and I will bite you!”
The Guerrero Family, now a family of four! This was our first time meeting Owen and boy what a cutie he is!
Abby and Ellie hamming it up with Auntie Fran!
Lots and lots of sisters!
“I got the Mermaid Barbie that I always wanted!”

Ellie had a wonderful afternoon with Abby and Harrison. Her party also gave us the chance to visit with some friends and family. This was kind of the last hurrah with people before the big move. After this party and our quick trip up to prep the house we wont have a lot of time to visit with people.

Ellie wore herself out, loaded up on cake and crashed later on that evening. After the party we opened presents from mommy, daddy and Grandma Zoe. Ellie loved everything she got especially her Barbie Mermaid and her Fisher Price Little Mermaid and Prince Erick Shell Carriage. What a fun and special day for our little cupcake!

Bixby and Felicity Turn Two!

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In February, our dear friends Bixby and Felicity turned two! Now its time to celebrate! Today we headed over to Wolfson home and enjoyed a lovely afternoon with the twins and their family and friends. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, perfect for a birthday party. Abby and Ellie had the chance to swing, run, bounce and play ball while Shaun and I talked with friends and relaxed.
Bixby and Felicity have grown so much and looked adorable on their special day. They loved all of the yummy food their mommy made for the party and dove right in to their special birthday cupcakes. It was wonderful to spend an afternoon with them and watch the girls have such a great time. 
Happy Birthday Bixby and Felicity! Its hard to believe that two years have passed by already!

A Big Brave Birthday Party!

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Now that Abby has turned four, its time to celebrate! This year Abby chose Brave as a party theme, although I will note that it was between Star Wars and Brave. Brave beat out Star Wars but only by a slim margin. Abby started to waiver on the theme but at that point the invitations were out and the decorations had been purchased. As you can see below, she was pretty happy with her choice.
Her day was pretty simple but so much fun. Her best friends Harrison and Emily were there to celebrate and play, while the adults remained content talking with one another and watching the kids. Everyone ate yummy food, listened to music and just enjoyed the time we had with one another. It was so nice to catch up with everyone.

When it came time to cut the cake, we were able to connect with Grandpa Jerry, Grandma Denise and Auntie Jillian through Skype. One of the wonderful things about technology is being able to connect and be part of special moments even if you are hundreds of miles away. They were able to watch Abby blow the candles, cut the cake and then watch her open presents. The day had been great and having my parents and sister there, even if through Skype, topped it all off. Abby opened and loved all of her presents too. We even had to stop and take a break because she was so distracted by each thing she opened. What a very blessed little girl Abby is. What a wonderful day and a great birthday party!

Birthday Party Weekend!

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Abby has two good friends in this world, both of whom she loves and adores. There is Emily, who Abby calls “her Emily” and then there is “her boyfriend” Harrison. We dont always get the chance to see them but when we do its a blast. Emily and Harrison were born within 2 weeks of one another, which means Abby has two birthdays to look forward to in the month of August. This year they fell on the same weekend! We were busy but we certainly had a blast.

On Saturday, Emily had a Lalaloopsy Party.. She was adorable and her party was a lot of fun. The girls enjoyed cookie decorating, temporary tattoos, and just running around and playing. Ellie loved the little bottles of bubbles that were given out to play with and Abby was thrilled to sit and play with Emily’s dollhouse a bit. I think the girls had a great time. Happy 4th Birthday Emily!

Ellie was having a blast with her bubbles and was actually blowing them on her own!

Abby and her beautifully decorated cookie.

About to sing Happy Birthday to the birthday girl. What a bunch of hams!

Happy Birthday Emily! You are adorable!

On Sunday we headed over to De Anza Park in Calabasas for Harrison’s 4th Birthday party. This year he had a superhero themed party and it was pretty awesome. The girls came home with their own capes and masks to play with and they love them. There was a bouncy castle to jump in and the park also has a water feature that the kids can play in. Super Abby and Ellie Girl (aka The Jaybird) had a blast running around and playing at the park. Abby practiced her superhero moves and had the chance to meet a new friend or two (although I will add that they were all boys). It was definitely a “super” kind of day! Happy 4th Birthday Harrison!

Super Ellie with Clark Kent curl to boot!

Super Abby!
Happy Birthday Harrison! Love your cake, made my hand by your amazing  mommy! 

Super Abby and Ellie Girl (AKA The Jaybird)

Super Hero friends… Love this picture.

Ellie’s 2nd Birthday Party!

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While Ellie’s official birthday isn’t until tomorrow, today we celebrated her second birthday with family and friends. Since Minnie Mouse is one of Ellie’s favorite characters these days, we had a fun Minnie Mouse themed party. The day was pretty relaxed and low key. Abby and Ellie had the chance to play with Harrison and just enjoy being kids while the adults mingled, talked and caught up with one another. This year it was wonderful to have my parents and sister here to celebrate. I know its hard on them when they have to miss birthdays, so it was extra special to have them here.
Ellie had a great time and enjoyed eating her birthday ice cream cake. She was a little unsure of all the people surrounding her and singing to her and became very shy when it came time to blow out her candles, so mommy had to do that for her. We had two cakes this year (I think this will become tradition) one was an ice cream cake from Baskin Robins the other was made by hand by yours truley from scratch. For those who might be wondering, the ice cream cake tradition started last year on Ellie’s first birthday when the cake I was baking from scratch turned into complete chaos. In the end we ordered and ice cream cake instead and I only make a simple small cake for Ellie to smash her hands into. This year my cake was a success and I think a hit with those who chose to have a piece from it.
Nothing but smiles from the birthday girl.

Both of Ellie’s beautiful birthday cakes.
 
Ellie’s birthday cake that was made from scratch by mommy. Lots lof love went into that cake!

After cake and a bit of playtime it was on to presents! Ellie was definitely more involved with opening them this year but still wanted to play with everything as it was unwrapped. Eventually she lost interest and I did a lot of it, but that’s ok. Her distraction came from toys she loved the minute she opened them. Who am I to complain about that?

Blowing out candles but a little overwhelmed by all of the attention.

Kisses from mommy for the birthday girl.

MMMMMM… CAKE!

Opening presents with reckless abandon!

When all was said and done we were surrounded by lots of presents, food and two happy but tired children. The afternoon was a success and it was obvious to us that Ellie is very much loved by everyone she knows. What a wonderful day. Happy Birthday Ellie!

Happy First Birthday to Bixby and Felicity!

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Happy First Birthday to Bixby and Felicity!

For those of you who don’t know, Bixby and Felicity are the two adorable kiddos of my dear friend Jennifer. As you might assume, they are twins and so sweet and adorable. This weekend we celebrated with the twins and their family and friends. I cannot believe it has been a year already since they were born. It seems like it was just yesterday that we were in the car on the way up to see my parents in Salt Lake City and I received a message that they had been born! If I am in disbelief I know that its ten times worse for Jen.

The girls had a wonderful time at the party, playing with “the babies” as Abby calls them. The party took place at the Wolfson home (Jen’s parents) and they have a lovely backyard to play in and explore. Abby and Ellie really enjoyed the swing set and slide, which was surrounded by recycled rubber that the girls thought was the coolest thing ever.

The day was also one of firsts. A first birthday for Bixby and Felicity, Ellie’s first time in a bounce house and Abby’s very first bee sting. Yup, the poor little monkey was stung by a bee! She was crawling around and playing with Ellie when she crawled right over a bee. It hurt, Abby cried but she was a trooper. After about 20 minutes of care, stinger removal,ice and some onions Abby was off and playing again just like nothing had happened. We watched her carefully to make sure that she didn’t have any allergic reaction to the sting, but all seemed just fine.

Bixby and Felcity had a a great time too, which is most important of all! They played with all of their friends and definitely enjoyed their lunch. So much so that they wanted their sweet potatoes and parsnips more then they wanted their birthday cupcakes! Great job guys!



The girls had a wonderful time and you could tell on the way home. Both girls passed out so we took a bit of a drive. Fun was had by all, that’s for sure!

It’s Time to Get Tangled!

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“Rapunzel, let down your hair!”

And let our hair down we did! Today family and a few friends came over to our house to celebrate Abby’s 3rd Birthday. This was the first year that Abby chose the theme to her party and her pick… TANGLED! As a surprise, Shaun and I bought her the Rapunzel dress to wear for the party. Abby, who needs a few minutes to wake up after a nap, certainly went from grumpy to happy in a hurry when she pulled it from the bag.


Abby looked adorable in her dress and to top it off, she had Pascal to carry with her. That was a lucky find at Disneyland during our trip in July. It certainly added to the costume and Abby was willing to carry him everywhere with her.


Family and close friends came over to share the day with us. We even had the chance to see a few familiar faces that we had not seen in a while. The day was casual, with nothing speacial to be done. Abby played with Emily, Harrison and Ellie and the adults found plenty to talk about. As part of the party we played the movie, Tangled. In the end it was the adults who watched the movie as the kiddos played. I saw this coming.


As part of what I hope will become a tradition, I mde Abby’s birthday cake again this year. It ended up not being as detailed as I had hoped, but Abby didn’t care. SHe was just excited to see cake and cake with Tangled toys on them to boot.


When it came time to sing Happy Birthday to the birthday girl, we made sure everyone was there, including Grandma and Grandpa Taylor and Auntie Jillian. While they couldn’t be there in person they were on speaker phone to sing.


After cake it was present time. Abby is certainly loved and she received a lot of wonderful things from some wonderful friends and family. This was the first year that Abby actually took interest n opening presents and she wont for it. HOwever, when I say she went for it I mean she willingly opened them but she opened them slowly and methodically. Before enjoying the gift inside, Abby had to make sure that all ribbons, wrap and tape had been removed. I dont know where she gets this from but some people might say “Like Mother Like Daughter”.




After presents we all enjoyed each others company until the party came to an end and everyone went home. Abby was one tired little girl, but it was worth every minute. Its hard to believe that she is now three. The time certainly flies but I cannot wait to see what the next year (and of course many years following) will bring. Happy Birthday Pumpkin! I hope you had a wonderful birthday party!

Happy 3rd Birthday Harrison!

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Today we celebrated at the Grape Arbor Park in Calabasas with Harrison! What did we celebrate? His 3rd birthday of course! I cant believe our babies are turning three! It means that Abby is not more then a month away from this milestone. Yikes!

As it seems to always happen for the Guerrero Family, the day was one of the hottest of the year. The mercury reached 106 degrees and it was a bit humid to boot. Luckily the park has a lot of shade trees and all of the picnic tables sat underneath the arbors. Erika made Harrison’s cake again this year and it turned out great! The theme was Thomas and Friends and the cake certainly reflected that. I love that she even made a train tunnel. Very talented!

The kids played to their hearts content and didn’t seem to be affected at all by the heat; its great to be a kid! Abby had the chance to make a few new friends and play until she was actually asking us to go home and take a nap. Now that was a great party! Unfortunately Harrison and Abby are at that age where they don’t want people taking pictures of them, so I only have a few. Ellie, on the other hand, didnt have an issue with it. We love spending time with the Guerrero family and of course, celebrating birthdays with them!

The beautiful and very yummy cake, made by Erika! It turned out great!

Ellie had the right idea and found a great way to stay cool on a hot day.

Mmmmm, ice! Not only was it refreshing, it also felt good on her gums. She is finally starting to cut one of her top teeth!

I wanted a picture with Abby. Abby thought otherwise.

Singing “Happy Birthday” and cutting the cake. Notice the three large white spots on the front bottom portion of the cake. Yeah, that is where Abby decided to stick her fingers. Gotta love that girl.

Little Ellie girl attempting to climb the steps on the jungle gym. She had no problem with it while mommy, on the other hand, nearly had a heart attack when she saw how far up she went. What an adventurous little cutie!

All In A Saturday!

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This Saturday started like any other Saturday would. The girls stayed up late Friday night, so we had the chance to sleep in a bit. When we did get up, the girls hung out in our room for a bit, playing and snuggling and then we headed downstairs for some breakfast. After breakfast and a few hours of playing, dancing singing and helping mommy do chores (I say that with a wink because the help usually unfolds the laundry I just folded) it was time for a nap. The nap would be a much needed one because, unlike most Saturday afternoons, ours was about to get a bit busy.

When nap-time was over I walked into the room and this is what I found…

Ellie had the best case of bedhead that I have seen from either of the girls so far. She must have sweat a bit in her sleep or something because her hair was out of control and glued that way. I had to use some of Abby’s detangling spray to make it look somewhat normal again! She didn’t care though. The sleep that created that bedhead must have been good, because Ellie woke up happy as a lark.

After fixing the crazy hair and getting dressed, we headed on over to the Escobar’s house to celebrate Emily’s 3rd Birthday! Wow, I cant believe Emily is 3 and the scary part to that is that means there is only a month and a half until its Abby’s turn. Where does all the time go! For her birthday Emily had a Dragon Castle Bounce House, boy oh boy did Abby have fun. She jumped and hopped and slid all over the place with Emily. Its fun to be a kid and play that hard.

Emily’s birthday was Jessie themed. For those that do not know, Jessie is the cowgirl from Toy Story and one of Abby’s favorite characters. Jackie made Emily’s dresses for the big day and she looked ADORABLE! I might have to convince Jackie to make one for Abby one day!

Inside the house, Ellie was having a blast with all the balloons hanging from the ceiling. One red balloon, in particular, became her friend and she carried it all over. I have to say, being that she is only 13 months old, she did a pretty good job of holding onto that balloon. They were helium filled, so if she let go they went up up and away, well to the ceiling. Luckily someone was around to grab that red balloon down for Ellie.

As our time at Emily’s party ran out, we thought it would be a good idea to get a picture of Emily and the girls. Jackie put Abby up in the chair for me and the fun began. Trying to take a picture of three children who are three and under is a tough task. This is the best picture I could get. At least they are all looking in the same direction!

After we left the party, we headed to the Ventura County Fair. We got there a bit late in the evening, so we didnt spend a lot of time there, but we had a blast. Abby and Ellie were completely engrossed with all of the lights, the sights and the sounds. Abby was so into it that she even had her first big accident since potty training. UH OH! Actually it wasn’t a big deal at all, nothing a change of clothes cant fix!

When at the fair, you must indulge in some fair type food… grilled corn on the cob, funnel cake, chicken, popcorn. Or how about the largest corn dog I think I have ever seen?! No Abby didn’t eat it all, it actually started off as Daddy’s but of course, it ended up in someone elses hands. Abby and Daddy thoroughly enjoyed it and even had to toss some of it away! It was huge!

After a snack we headed over to play some games. Shaun and I played the ring and bottle toss game but to no avail. That one was harder then it looked. We then headed over to the water hose game, using high pressure water to race Curious George to the finish line. We played twice and I almost won, but not quite. What a bummer too because the prize was a mini pillow pet! Our last game of the night, Shaun played the plate game, breaking plates with baseballs. This time, he won! Shaun was able to win a stuffed giraffe for Abby and a dolphin for Ellie. Unfortunately Ellie dropped her dolphin and before I could retrace my steps it was gone. Some people are so mean sometimes.

After games, Shaun took Abby on a few rides and through the fun house. Abby had a blast the entire time. In order to get out of the fun house you had to go down a big twisty slide. It certainly was fun seeing a grown man come down that thing with his little girl in his lap. After the fun house, they took off and rode on the dump truck coaster, the hot air balloons and then Abby and I rode on the spinning bears. I had a great time with the girls!

After rides, snacks and games the girls were tired and it was time to go. As we started to load the car up with strollers and of course, the girls, the fireworks started. Boy were they close! With every boom another car alarm went off. The sudden start to the fireworks scared the girls, so they had to enjoy them from inside the car but I was able to snap a few pictures. It was the perfect end to a perfectly wonderful day! Yup, its all in a Saturday with the Wharton Family!