Mandy's Day

It still amazes me at how quickly a week can go by! We spent a very busy week preparing for Mandy's Big Birthday Party. She has been so excited about this day for so very long, and the day finally arrived. It all began Friday evening as family began to arrive from Texas and Oklahoma. We had a make-up baseball game to attend that night, and after watching the "big boys" play, we returned to the house for a late dinner and had lots of family over to visit. Friday night Mandy began to prepare, and grandma rolled her hair for her.

We finished up on some of the goodies we were making for the Tea Party. The kids went to bed and were asleep fairly quickly. Mandy knew that the faster she went to sleep the faster that her "day" would arrive. Upon waking, Saturday we were off and running(so to speak). Dad was sent on errands, while Mom was busy making the tea party snacks. Grandma and Grandpa helped with the kids and getting things decorated, and Nana,Aunt Ce, and Aunt Mary helped get the trays set and ready to serve the tea. Can you picture the chaos? It was ordered chaos at its very best! The girls were all excited because they got to dress in their "princess" best clothes(Daddy even joined in and got dressed in his suit...sorry no picture because he was also the cameraman...but he sure looked handsome!). As the first guest began arriving, we had everything set and ready to go. The girls enjoyed a tea party and made "fashionable" hats to wear. The boys(and daddy) pitched in and helped too! They were the waiters, and some mighty "fine" waiters they were too! We had daddy and the boys helping serve. Nana, Grandma, and Aunt Ce were running the kitchen. We had Aunt Mary and volunteers running the crafts, and momma was the hostess. I was so thankful for all the help, and what an amazing time was had by all. After the tea, we had a fashion show. Everyone had to show off their beautiful clothes and the hats they made. Some were a little shyer than others about displaying their beauty, but with a little coercion and a helping escort from friends, everyone participated. Next we opened presents,and Mandy was so surprised and thrilled at all the gifts for her(even if there wasn't a Barbie house from mom and dad). We ate cake and icecream, and finished the day with a Pinata(well sort of... the rains came and we had to do an indoor version). It was soooo much fun to plan and give this party. I loved hosting this "very girlie" party, and celebrating this special day with our girl. I know that Mandy loved it all...even if she did get a little overwhelmed at times. A big Thank You to Everyone who helped make this a Special (1st ever) Birthday celebration for our Princess Mandy!!

Tea Time....

Tea Anyone?...Maybe a Scone or a finger sandwhich?...I prefer the hot tea... do you like the iced tea punch?...Don't you just love this darling???Hat making ...So many presentsHappy Birthday to Mandy!!!All the beautiful girls!!!On a side note... areas around and near our town were hit by high winds and some tornadoes early yesterday evening. We had several members of our church affected by these storms. Would you please join us in praying for the recovery efforts?