Birthday Party Pictures!!!

We had Jenna's 4th Birthday Party at Bounce U this year and I couldn't have been more pleased with how it went.

Every year we say we are going to have her party someplace...then we end up changing our minds and doing it ourselves and then regretting it. It always ends up being outside, in the 110 degree heat. We have our whole family chipping in with cleaning, set up, cooking, tear down and clean up....etc...etc...etc... and we are all wiped out by the end of the day. Not to mention the fact that I never really feel like I've had a chance to enjoy MYself because I'm so busy making sure all the little (and big) things get done and everyone's having a good time.

NOT so this year! The staff at "Bounce U" took care of E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. Daddy and Mommy got to have fun with Jenna and really enjoy ourselves.... and I got to do what I love best...take pictures of it all.

Enjoy!! (although MANY are a little blurry....sorry)

Party hasn't even started yet....but someone is excited!!!


Watching the obligatory video on how to be safe while having fun....


Jenna and Daddy were one of the first ones down the slides!

Marisa and Jenna headed down the slide!!

...and Elizabeth!

Madison had her game face on....


Marisa and Elizabeth having fun...

Our neighbor Jillian and Emily going down the slide...


Bill and Evan....down the slide!


Owen having fun!!


Carol holding Ryan...

Cutie Pie Paul...

Katie goes down the slide!


Uncle Scott is C-R-A-Z-Y!!


....but so is Daddy...

Nathan liked the basketball

Delaney had fun on the slides....

...and on the bouncy ......"thing"

Macie...ready to go again!

Smile Avery!

Auntie Elaine seemed to be enjoying herself too!!

a shot of the party-goers...


Daddy, Mommy and Jenna pose for a picture with the cake. Maddie and Avery too. Whatcha doin there Avery?? ha ha

Little hams...

My best friend Sara's little guy Bradley....such a cutie!!

She was soaking up the attention...



The LOOT!

She was folding the clothes after she opened them....which is funny to me because at home....her clothes get crumpled on the floor.



Such the little lady..

...but still SO GOOFY!! Everyone was "oohing" ...and "ahhhing" over all of her gifts as she pulled them out. So she was pretending like this little shoe hanger was a gift and waiting for everyone's reaction.

Pretty dress from Gramma Kye Kye and Poppy...
Gorgeous skirt from Uncle Scott, Auntie Kimmie and Maddie....

The super cool "plasma car" she got from Grandma Mary...

and threw it all (well most of it anyway)....Ryan slept....


HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY JENNA KATE!!

Wanna WIN something???

Go here and check out this cool "Gummy Doll" giveaway!

*Fingers crossed* I hope I win! Ryan would LOVE it!!

FOUR!!

Jenna's Birthday was yesterday. She is FOUR now. I can NOT believe how fast time is flying.

Recent facts about Jenna:

Her favorite color is currently blue.

Her favorite foods (and basically the only things she'll currently eat) are Macaroni and Cheese, waffles, yogurt, applesauce, peas, pizza and Red Robin turkey. She rarely deviates from this list.

She loves to play outside in the backyard, either in her pool, in the sandbox, or on her swingset.

She also loves to ride bikes and drive her jeep in the front yard with Daddy.

She loves the beach. Loves to collect rocks and shells on the shore.

She A-D-O-R-E-S her little brother Ryan. She loves to hold him, feed him, and is the best at making him laugh.

Her brother Ryan A-D-O-R-E-S her just as much...if not more.

Her favorite restaurant is Red Robin because she loves the bird and loves the free balloons. She and her daddy also love to play the "crane game". Mommy hates the "crane game".

She likes the use the word "actually" in sentences...this cracks people up.

She likes to have Mommy or Daddy lay in bed with her every night and read stories. She likes to say her prayers where she asks God to bless "everybody"....although sometimes she decides to go through the names of all the people she wants to bless (basically everyone she is related to or is friends with)....this can make for a VERY long bedtime routine.

She likes to say grace before dinner at night. "Tick tock hear the clock, now it's time to pray. We fold our hands and bow our heads, thank the Lord for daily bread....amen." although her actual version goes something like this "Tick tock hear the clock, now it's time to pray. We fold our heads and bow our bread pray the bored for baby bed...amen."

She is very caring....she likes to hug her friends every time they part ways. If she doesn't get to hug them, she gets very upset.

She likes to say hello to any child she sees (in the store, at the park, etc.) She will introduce herself and then ask their name and consider them her new friend instantly. She is not shy. I am envious of this trait although it makes me slightly nervous.

She loves to color and cut with her scissors. She's been very good with scissors since she was 2 years old.

She likes to do her "homework".

She is excited to start her new preschool in August....although I know she will miss her current daycare friends and teacher, Ms. Evie.

Most of all, Jenna is a fun-loving, spirited, outgoing and loving little FOUR year old. She is stunningly beautiful (yeah...I may be a little biased) on the inside AND out.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JENNA KATE! Mommy, Daddy and Ryan love you more than words could express!!

BIG party planned for Sunday! Will post pictures afterwards!

Why my husband is no longer allowed to shop for applesauce....

this thing is bigger than our pantry....and he bought TWO of them. No lie.

**Update**

She's still a sick little kid. She is in this vicious cycle of miserable with fever (up to 103/104 degrees) acetominophin, feeling better (because of the medicine) and wanting to run around (but mean Mommy has been making her rest), and then ...6 hours later...it stars all over again....like clockwork. She also decided to add diarrhea to the mix today which has made her downright miserable. I think we might be going to the doctor tomorrow if things haven't improved. I don't like these fevers! Poor Daddy had to celebrate Father's Day without Jenna and I. We stayed home and he and Ryan went to a BBQ at Jane and Art's house. We haven't even seen my dad today!! :(

We'll see how it goes tonight and tomorrow! I'm already planning on working from home.

Storyland and Allison's Grad Party!!

Yesterday we met our friends Addison and Brayden (and their Mom Catherine) at Storyland. We haven't been there since Jenna was about 2 years old so she didn't remember it at all. We had a lot of fun, despite the sudden heatwave, although I really can't complain since Catherine is 8+ months pregnant.....I'm sure she was much more miserable than I!

I can remember going to Storyland when I was little. I even had my birthday party there when I was around 6 or 7 years old, in the castle. Not much has changed although they have made some improvements....it could still really use a little help.

Here are a couple of cute pictures I got (my camera wasn't really cooperating too well for some reason)...

Jenna coming out of the 3rd little pigs house (the one made of bricks)


Addie, Brayden and Jenna in the little chapel...

Sitting at a cute little mushroom table and chair set....

Sitting on Mother Goose's lap...

Both girls sitting on Mother Goose's lap....

and on a mushroom....

Jenna on the merry-go-round...

Jenna and Addie having their picnic lunch afterwards...


Speaking of miserable...as you can probably see in the pictures....Jenna was SO not her normal outgoing spunky self during this outing. She was dragging and tired for a lot of the day and it really surprised me. I kept her well hydrated and we left pretty early (we were all pretty miserable) and we all took a nice long nap when we got home. When she woke up....she seemed to be feeling a bit better but she was running a fever. I gave her some tylenol and she was quickly feeling much better. We were supposed to be going to Allison's graduation party that night (I babysat Allison and her sister Katie every day after school and all throughout college from the time Allison was 2 years old, and Katie wasn't even born yet). I REALLY wanted to make it to the party so, since Jenna seemed to be feeling fine, we went ahead and went. We figured we'd leave early if she seemed "off" at all.

We had nothing to worry about....she spotted the stage and gravitated toward it.

We couldn't keep her off the thing! (not sure what THIS move was exactly...and I don't think there was any music playing yet at this point!)


Then she met some new friends (why are my pictures so darn fuzzy???)

and the group dancing (and music) started....

I have NO clue who the kid in the glasses was....but his style was just cracking me up!

Daddy even joined in on the fun...

But was quickly left behind by his dancing partner.

I thought at her age...she was supposed to still think we were "cool"??

She could NOT get enough of the graduate, Allison, and was stuck to her hip for a good portion of the evening.

Ryan also got quite a bit of attention from the graduate....

...until Daddy had to explain to him that Allison was, indeed, just a little too old for him....

Family picture (well ...sort of....Ryan was behind us, asleep, in the stroller)

She sure wasn't ACTING sick!!

Me with Katie (left - 15) and Allison (right - 18).....I cannot BELIEVE how much these two have grown up!! I feel SOO OLD!!


When we got home, Jenna went right to bed and woke up a few hours later with a pretty hefty fever (around 103). After more tylenol and another bath she was feeling better and went back to sleep. She woke up around 7:30 am with a fever again and we had to cancel our plans to go up north ( a 3 hour drive) for a Father's Day BBQ with Scott, Kim and Madison. We were pretty bummed but ended up having an enjoyable and productive day at home.

We were even able to join Jim's dad and sister for a yummy dinner out.


Hopefully Jenna feels better tomorrow. If not....we'll be heading into the doctors office on Monday. She gave me some clues tonight that it might be a UTI (she hasn't had one since she was about 9 months old...and is actually on a prophelactic antibiotic to prevent them...but ya never know!). I just hope she is feeling better soon! We have a Father's Day celebration at Aunt Jane's house tomorrow and I hope we are able to make it!