merit's 3rd birthday party!

Merit was a bit indecisive about what kind of party she wanted this year. I figured she was old enough now to have a say, so I wanted to do something she would really enjoy. We started out thinking about Care Bears (a Mer-Bear party!), then she moved onto ballet, then macaroni and cheese (true story), then she would mention pink and purple... so I just decided to stick with pink and purple. I'm honestly not much of a fan of those two colors by themselves, so I threw in some mint green for myself. :) 

the invites

 

The day of Merit's party started with ballet. Nina and Papa were in town, so they got to come watch her do her thing.

After ballet, we went into party mode. We ran some last minute errands, and Mama helped me ice the cake and cupcakes. We made a pink and purple layered cake with pink and mint green cupcakes.

 While we finished getting everything ready, Kevan grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, and PaPa took a nap with the birthday girl.

It was fun when she woke up to everything decorated and ready.

Since there wasn't really a theme other than her favorite colors, I decided to base the foods around her favorites, as well. I asked her all about her faves, and was sure to include all of them.

(Thanks to Grammie for the yummy homemade mac-n-cheese!)

The favors included some Merit faves, too - sidewalk chalk, fruit roll-ups, and Toy Story and My Little Pony stickers.

Merit was so excited as she waited for friends and family to arrive.

When they finally did, she led them all to her new "yellow park" to play a while before we ate.

After we ate up all of Merit's faves, she blew out her candles.

opening presents...

We didn't have much success with a kids on the couch pic...
Ava, Liam, Audrey, Merit, and Liberty

the mamas

PaPa, Nina, Grammie, and Popsy

our little fam (and proof that sweet August was indeed in attendance. poor second/maybe-someday-middle child - toward the end of the party my parents realized she hadn't had her supper yet, so they fed her for me. )

It was another fun Merit party. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MERIT FEY!!
Thank you to all of our friends and family who came! 

merit's 3rd birthday, part one

{a really long post about Merit's actual birthday before another really long post about Merit's birthday party}

The day of Merit's actual birthday was super busy and fun. Kevan and I had decorated the house and kitchen with pink and purple balloons and streamers, so when she woke up and came into our room to wake us up, she had already seen the decorations. She and Kevan got up to go get some (pink) donuts, and I could hear her in the kitchen saying, "Daddy, it's my birthday! I'm three! Can you believe I'm three?!" When they got back, we ate breakfast together and she got to open her pink and purple presents. Her pj's and hoodie even matched. This girl loves a good pink and purple color combo.

Pictured below - 1. Unknowingly sitting on her big birthday present - a new swingset from us and the Albrights. 2. I had been telling her for a while that she could have gum when she turned three, so she got to chew her first piece of gum. 3. More practice making a three.

I told her I would take her to the zoo, and she was SO excited. Here she is in the car on the way at 10:57am, exactly the time she was born three years ago!

We got all the way to the zoo to see this:

I made the mistake of getting her and August out and in the stroller before I decided that I just couldn't do it. I've never seen the zoo that busy, and I didn't think I could handle the double stroller in a crowd by myself! I felt TERRIBLE, but I made the excited birthday girl a sad birthday girl and got us back in the car. She cried and cried for the 30 minute drive back to our side of town (and I did a little, too! Oh, man, I felt bad). I got the idea to take her to Build-a-Bear since she had never been, and I knew she'd love it. She wasn't convinced as we drove to get Kevan and go to the mall, but once we got there and she figured out what it was, she LOVED it! Birthday saved!

 She chose a pink and purple bear (shocker) with a rainbow fairy dress and ballet slippers. We paid for our mistake of going to the zoo during Spring Break week bear, and rode the carousel before it was time for Kev to go back to work.

Then, the girls and I had a picnic lunch at the park!

Followed by a three hour nap for Merit. She was worn. Out.

After she woke up, we told her that we would take her anywhere she wanted to go for supper. She had been talking about Chuck E. Cheese's for days, but something wonderful came over her and she chose Chuy's. We didn't argue!

They were out of birthday sopapillas, so they brought us the yummiest cake at no charge. (Side note: Merit gets free stuff everywhere we go. Free cookies at Subway...free chocolate milk at Starbucks...the other night at Dotson's, the waitress gave her a DOLLAR and then came back by with a sucker...)

We then went home to blow out her candles on her birthday cupcakes, and we all went to bed full and happy. Overall, a really great day of celebrating our first baby girl!

Happy 8 months to this sweet girl today.

 She's had a busy week. Check out these skills!

Ballet day - quite possibly my favorite day of the week.

Today Merit picked these flowers for me.

And said these clouds looked like a dinosaur.

Have I mentioned that I love spring?

Kev took these pics of his girls enjoying the sunshine.

a sunday at the park

I recently got a new camera and have been practicing this week. I took these today while little Augs was doing some practicing of her own. She'll be crawling very, very soon!