Saturday, June 9, 2012

Bulls, Baby Shower & Birthdays!

At the end of May we spent a long weekend in NC with our family enjoying some fun, celebrating Allison & Matt as they prepare for Baby Huntley to arrive and celebrating Grace's 4th birthday.  It was a wonderful weekend with family and friends and reminds us how much we wish we were living in NC again.  Hopefully one these days that will be a reality again!!

Since we were in NC, Grace has actually turned 4 - where has the time gone?  It seems like yesterday when I was holding my 6lb newborn!!  Grace has been able to enjoy celebrating turning 4 over and over. She had a party in NC, a party at school and today we had a party here in TN where we in enjoyed celebrating with some of her school friends and some of our TN friends.

Enjoy all the pictures from our recent fun!

Watching a movie on the way to NC


We let her choose one of the stops we made on the way to NC and she chose Bojangles and wanted a blueberry biscuit.

  
On the first night in NC we went downtown to a Durham Bulls game.  I took this photo from the top of the parking deck where we had to park.  I thought it was a great shot of downtown.

Ready to cheer on the Bulls

She loves her some cotton candy!




The bag was as big as she was.

Watching the fireworks from daddy's shoulders



On the morning of Day Two in NC Grace, Papa and Troy went to Pullen Park, one of Grace's favorite places to go!!


On the train with Papa


While they were enjoying Pullen Park, mom and I were preparing for Allison's baby shower.
Mom came up with this idea and we decorated the fireplace mantel at the clubhouse.



Allison opening some of the many nice gifts she got.  
She and Matt will be all ready for Huntley now!!

Grace had fun playing with all the people who came to the shower.

I didn't take many pictures at the shower, but of course I had t have one with my favorite sister-in-law.

 Grace got to open few birthday presents the day before her party thanks to the Alfords and the Allens


Just one of the many cute outfits!!

She loves her Dora party doll


On Sunday we had a nice time celebrating Grace's birthday with our family.
















































She had such a great day!!




On Memorial Day we had dinner for Aunt Sandy's birthday at the Japanese steakhouse and Grace hated the loud sounds from the cooking and the fire.  She spent most of the time like this...




The birthday girl


 After a wonderful weekend we headed home and Grace curled up with her new blanket and was asleep not long after we got on the road.  It is always hard to leave!


Heading in to the week of her actual birthday, I create this comparison of how much she has changed over 4 years.  It is really amazing.  Each year has presented something new, fun and challenging!


 SHE IS FOUR!!
Birthday donut as requested from our favorite place in Murfreesboro!!



This is the outfit she chose to wear to school on her actual birthday.
So cute and to grown up!



After school we let her choose where she wanted to eat dinner...we went to Chilis.  And she wanted to wear the birthday crown she got at school.

For a week she had been talking about a Rapunzel doll she wanted.  Since they have 50 of them at Walmart we decided to take her on her birthday and let her pick the one she wants.  This is her happy to have picked out her doll!

Before bed we let her open a few little gifts from us.










Since it was water day and ice cream day at school on her actual birthday, we decided to send cupcakes to school the next day.  This continued to stretch out her celebrations!!






Everyone showing how old Grace is!














Today the drawn out birthday celebrating came to and end.  We had a party for Grace and invited some of her friends and some of our friends.  It was a blast for the young and young at heart.


The party room at Jumpers Playhouse where we had the party.

Awesome cupcakes made by Heidi Convery.  The were delicious!!























Susanna...had to post this one...sorry!!



The kids loved the big slide the most and often went 4 or 5 at a time down the slide!








Kinslee will probably never go down a slide ever again!




























She wanted the lights out!























I think Susanna wants a bouncy party on her next birthday!!

Grace loves her Susanna


Hugs and thanks yous for all of her friends

Sam, Denise and Alex....PRECIOUS!


She didn't want to leave the party chair!

So thankful for all the fun but also thankful the birthday celebrating is over for another year!!