Birthdays!!

This month TJ turned 8 and Daddy had a birthday a few days later. Later this month we have several more parties to attend too!  Spring is such a great party time.

This year the plan was to simplify and have a nice small celebration.  After discussions with the boys and what they wanted I decided not to over Pinterest things instead. I have offered to the boys to do something else instead of a party if they wanted to also.  Both older boys wanted to have birthday parties with their friends.  Of course MJ reminded me that they needed themes so that they could decide what to do for the cakes!

TJ chose an outdoor/camping theme.  He invited several friends and cousins.  All his grandparents wanted to come too and we all had a great time.

We used camping gear and marshmallows on twigs for decorations.  The boys' Playmobil was on the cake table along with a campfire looking cake. 

The take home was a glowstick and compass key chain.

Ikea has cute woodland cookie cutters that we used to make gingerbread cookies.  There was lots of snacks, trail mix supplies and our nature table items on the food table.

Outside we set out toys from the shed to play with like badminton, Frisbee, balls.  There is a sandbox, bubbles and swings too.  TJ created an obstacle course for his friends in the forest and we had a nature treasure hunt.

TJ's actual birthday was two days later.  We still had some cake left over so he ate that for breakfast!! 

Daddy and I saved our gift for this day rather than with the party gifts.  He had been asking for the Playmobil Luxury Yacht for over a year.  Oh boy was he excited and surprised that we bought it for him!! 

We also got the remote control for the yacht.  After playing all morning with his birthday gifts, we went to a pond near my mom's to try out the new yacht.  What a great time we all had!!

Daddy's birthday is a few days after TJ's.  This year I surprised my husband with an afternoon together to do whatever we wanted!  He is such a hard working man and needed a break.  TJ woke up first and baked the cake all by himself.  He also worked really hard on colouring a picture for daddy and warping a gift.  MJ helped me later with decorating.

It took three of us to light all the candles.  TJ wanted to see if we'd set off the smoke detector so he collected up every candle in the house and sent me out for more.  

Daddy and his helpers blowing out the candles!  These boys love their dad so much.  He always makes time for us all and works hard on our family business.  

Our babysitters were an awesome brother/sister team who played with the boys all afternoon.  They were sure busy from what I heard.  Jon and I went antique shopping (looking really).  We had dinner out, rented a movie and then came home.  We'd have stayed out longer but ran out of things to do.  The weather wasn't nice enough to be outside.

I love my family!!!!