A Birthday Celebration

We were able to celebrate Weston and Natalie's birthdays this past Saturday. The initial plan was to hold it at a park so the kids could play and enjoy being outdoors, but we quickly determined that would not work when we woke up that morning to cold weather and lots of wind. So, the party got pushed to Peter Piper Pizza. It actually turned out really well. We had our own quiet corner and enjoyed our time with family.

Weston and Natalie tried out the carousel when we first got there. I don't think it was much of a hit for either of them. Natalie looked like she was about to cry the entire time and Weston was too tired to really care much about anything. But, they did it and we moved on. Zachary and EmmaLee seemed to enjoy it though so there was some success.

The balloons were by far the biggest hit with the kids. Weston loved the balloons and enjoyed shaking them up and down. We lost many balloons that way. The silly thing is that they just disconnected from the string. The string always stayed in his hand. I think those people need a class on how to tie balloons to a string. :) Natalie also enjoyed stroking and trying to eat her balloons!

Both kids enjoyed their pizza birthday lunch. I couldn't feed Natalie fast enough. She made me laugh with her enthusiasm over her food. Presents came after all of the food.

Weston was first to open his gifts. The poor little guy was so tired that he sat in Daddy's lap the whole time and periodically showed spurts of emotion. He loved his McQueen car from Aunt Amber and Uncle Jeff. Other hits were his new clothes from Grandma and Grandpa Romero, clothes and a steering wheel from Grandma and Grandpa Brown, a gift card from Grandma and Grandpa Summerhays (shopping here we come!), Mr. Potato Head from Aunt Lindsey and Uncle Josh, McQueen pajamas from Aunt Clary, and toys from Aunt Nabeha. Oh and who can forget his blocks from Mommy and Daddy? He sure enjoyed his new treasures.

Natalie was next and she seemed to be a bit more excited. She was spoiled and got THREE dollies! Looks like Aunt Amber and Uncle Jeff, Grandma and Grandpa Brown, and Mommy and Daddy were all on the same page! She loved every single one and lit up with excitement with each. She immediately began chewing their noses. Not really sure what that means, but they were sure tasty I guess! She also got pajamas from Aunt Clary, clothes from Grandma and Grandpa Romero, a gift card from Grandma and Grandpa Summerhays, an alphabet snail from Aunt Lindsey and Uncle Josh, and toys and clothes from Aunt Nabeha. What fun! I think the funniest part of watching Natalie open her gifts was when she got all of the clothes. I just started piling them on her lap and she got so excited! She squealed, grinned from ear to ear, and started clapping her hands. What a girl!

Cupcake time! For the first time ever, Weston ate with caution. I was expecting quite the mess as usual, but Weston ate his cupcake very carefully. I attribute this to him being tired and not really knowing what was going on. He seemed to not even care about the delectable treat in his mouth but did eventually perk up just a bit. He appeared to enjoy it. I guess that is all that matters.

Natalie on the other hand was on the hunt! She snagged that cupcake the second I placed it on the table in front of her. I didn't even get a chance to take a picture or even take the foil off. She shoved it straight into her mouth. That smile did not leave her face. She was like a stranded island survivor that found food for the very first time in months. She was making all of us laugh with her intensity over this cupcake. When the first one was pretty much devoured, Grandpa Summerhays thought it would be funny to entice her with a second. She immediately started kicking her legs, swinging her arms, and looking ever so intently at that cupcake. The intensity and desperation in her eyes was just too amusing. After she devoured her second and was looking to move onto her third, I stepped in as mean Mommy and put an end to it. We didn't need it to come back up and by the look on her face we were heading that direction. So, it was off to the bathroom for a wipe down and change of clothes.
I think Weston's favorite part was when he sat down with Daddy on a car video game. He even got to steer the wheel! He had so much fun! I could hear him squealing from the other side of the place. He would yell "truck!, car!, whee!!!" It was quite entertaining. I think it was the most energy he displayed the entire time we were there! Perfect ending to a fun party!