JD Sr turns 30!

JD Sr has officially reached the big 3-0! We had a surprise party here at the house for him last weekend. He was quite shocked to look out the window to see his family standing in the front yard at 11:00PM Friday night holding a balloon and large cookie, complete with a lit candle. He had no idea that they were going to come to NC to celebrate his birthday, but he was thrilled! It was a hard secret for me to keep all week long. We had his party on Saturday evening which consisted of dinner and pie on the deck where we had decorated with tiki torches and other party decor. JD received a cash and gift card bouquet, and he wasted no time in picking the "flowers" and putting them to good use! I met JD when we were only 18, fell in love with him by 19, and am just as in love with him today as I was 11 years ago! Happy 30th Birthday to my wonderful husband!

A great birthday party!

JD recently attended a birthday party for his friend, Lillie. Lillie had a petting zoo at her party, and it was a hit with all of the children (and parents too!). JD had a great time feeding the animals, swinging on the swingset, and playing basketball. Based on the amount of time he spent throwing the ball into the hoop, I definitely think that playing basketball was his personal favorite activity at the party. I had to remind him several times that there were other fun things for him to do there. :^) He received a goody bag as we left the party, and one of his treats was a blue raspberry ring pop. I gave it to him after dinner that night, and it looked as though he had devoured a smurf! Ha Ha!

Family Fun Night at Church...

We ventured out a few Friday nights ago (I've gotten so behind in posting here lately) to our church's monthly Family Fun Night. We had a great time, and JD jr tried roller skating for the very first time, as you can see in the photos. He had a blast! We ate pizza, played games, skated, and enjoyed spending time with our church family. That's JD's good friend, Hank, in the wagon. They enjoyed a leisurely ride around the gym between all of the other activities.

I love PAAS!

On Good Friday, I decided to let JD try his hand at decorating Easter eggs, and he LOVED it! His favorite part was dropping the color tablet into the vinegar and hearing it fizz as it dissolved. For his first time, he did very well dipping the egg into the dye solution without getting any of it on himself or the floor.

After the eggs dried, he helped me place stickers on the eggs and I provided a picture of his first finished product (the bright yellow egg in the photo). He was quite proud of himself. He concentrated so intently while stirring the solution and dipping the egg that you would have thought he was working with extremely hazardous materials. :^)

I think one of my favorite things about being a mother is getting to experience all of the fun childhood things all over again with my sweet little boy.

Easter Celebration

On Sunday, we went to church, returned home for lunch, and then made our way back to the church in the afternoon for the annual children's Easter celebration. The evening began with an Easter egg hunt, and we thoroughly enjoyed watching JD run around as fast as his little legs would go while picking up eggs and putting them in his bucket. He quickly discovered that most of the eggs were filled with M&Ms (one of his favorite treats) and he wasted no time in indulging in them. After the egg hunt, it was off to the petting zoo, where JD wanted NOTHING to do with the pony ride (see photo). The final activity involved singing and crafts, and we finished the evening with dinner in the fellowship hall.

When we returned home, JD proceeded to shake each of his plastic eggs one at a time, and when he heard what he recognized as the sound of M&Ms, he opened the egg and devoured the candy. He had NO M&Ms remaining by bedtime!

Again, another full but very enjoyable day!

After the party...

Needless to say, JD was absolutely exhausted after his birthday party, so we put him down for a nap after returning home and he had no trouble falling asleep. While he was sleeping, his Nana and Paw Paw assembled the slide that they gave him for his birthday, and we had it sitting in the middle of the living room when he came downstairs from taking his nap. He was thrilled to have his very own slide and tried it out right away. He was also given a very nice tractor by his Aunt G G and Uncle D. It makes a very realistic sound as it rolls along and by this, JD is delighted. He also received a Sesame Street helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads to use with his tricycle and tractor, a new Veggie Tales DVD, and a Thomas the Train toy.

We finished the day by going out to dinner to a seafood restaurant. This was wonderful because after such a full day, I don't think I would have had an ounce of energy left in me to prepare dinner! :^)

Party Time!

We celebrated JD's birthday by having a children's party at McDonald's Play Place, and it was a blast! We had a total of 12 children ranging in age from 2 to 5 years, and with parents and extended family, we had around 30 people at the party. The children played and played and played some more on the slides and in the tunnels. They took a break from playing to have a Happy Meal and birthday cake and then went right back to playing again. Oh, to have their energy!!

JD had SO much fun at his party, and he even sang along as we sang "Happy Birthday" before blowing out his candles. My inspiration for the cake design was his two sleeping buddies (see photo).

It was a wonderful time that we will cherish always!