Birthday love

A few shots from Emily's birthday.






We've got a tradition--Grandma P. makes the birthday cakes each year for the kids' birthdays. We tell her the theme and she gets to work! This year was Scooby Doo. Some other cakes she's done for us have been: a ladybug, a duck cake, a music note, a Barbie bride complete with train and veil, a tractor, & a big strawberry--for Strawberry Shortcake.



We aren't normally extravagant spenders when it comes to birthdays or Christmas, but the girls have been wanting a house for their Barbies for forever. So...ta da! Their wish came true! It was from us, along with Grandma & Grandpa Knutson, and also Aunt Bria (with thanks also to a great online discount.) Emily is standing next to it--it's that big. (It was a bit tricky, however, explaining to the girls that it was Emily's birthday present, but was for both of them to use.) We wanted Emily to feel really special--lavished, as sometimes the second born gets the shaft when it comes to new things.

Planning for & hosting parties tends to overwhelm me a bit--no matter how much I pray about it ahead of time. But this one went really smoothly, actually. I had Wade's help, and I was more relaxed than I usually am. Dare I hope that I've actually made some progress in this growth area? Well, in any case--another party down, and the next one won't be until November when Nathan turns 3. :)