Friend Birthday Party

I probably wouldn't have done a 'friend' party this early in life, but I have felt so badly about yanking Gracie away from all her cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents and this girl needed a party! 

We invited about 12 kids from our ward with their moms and had a little shin-dig at a park.  The kids loved playing and eating pizza.  Gracie got some fun presents and then they all ate the caterpillar cake.  My mom made me a cake like this when I was in kindergarten and I thought it would be cute and easy to do for her.  It was a hit!

 

Gracie turns 2!

Gracie woke up to a room full of balloons, she was so funny when she woke up, she just started collecting them all.  She would pick up one, drop one, pick up another, drop the next. 

 Jimi had to be in Port Angeles this day, so we thought it would be fun to tag along.  Gracie loves riding the ferry so what better way to start her birthday?  It was kinda chilly though, and this girl doesn't like to be cold. 

 Port Angeles turned out to be a bust.  We checked into our hotel room and within minutes checked right back out!  It was THAT bad.  So we made it home in time for dinner and Gracie's only request was "fresh fries".  I figured, why not?  It is only your birthday once a year so we ordered her a big basket of fries....she ate about seven.  She also ate plenty of the artichoke dip

You say it's your birthday?

We had two different birthday parties for Gracie a week apart from each other, plus we did some fun stuff on her actual birthday!  We are partied out!

Gracie and Carter are 13 days apart.  So we split the difference between their
birthdays and had a blue and pink party.

We had a pre-party swimming party with all the boy cousins.  Gracie is so not afraid to jump

in and get dirty with all her boy cousins. 

FrontRunner and real birthday.

On Gracie's actual birthday we had planned to meet Kristy, Gracie's birthmother, down in Salt Lake at the Utah State Fair but the weather was cold and rainy for most of the day, so our plans quickly changed. We ended up riding the FrontRunner down, it was our first time and was kinda fun for Gracie, then took Trax to The Gateway and met Kristy, her fiance' and her mom and dad at California Pizza Kitchen for dinner.  Sadly, I was more worried about Gracie eating something for dinner than I was about taking pictures and I completely forgot to snap a single picture!  I know they all did, so I am going to have to bum some off of them....  Here is our documented train ride though.  :) 

Party Overload!!!

We had a party at our house with Jimi's family on the 11th, which was actually Gracie's placement day a year ago, so it was kinda fun to think about what we were doing this time last year.  Some of these same family members were in our home that night too.  One of our cousins has a sister-in-law that was adopted as well and every year her family celebrates her placement day and they call it "I gotchya day!"  I think that is kinda fun.  It might just stick.

 

Grama and Grampa Jar gave Grace a baby doll, blanket and stroller and she LOVES being a little mama to her baby.

Cousins Boston and Seth with G.

We did a hot dog roast in our firepit.

Then Gracie opened presents. 

She LOVES computers and Jimi and I found this little leapfrog laptop at Target.  Look carefully at the next two pictures for her facial expression....so excited!! 

Then we sat around and watched YouTube videos on the big screen...it was interestingly entertaining.

And we played with all our cousins.  Gracie wasn't so sure about everyone for the first hour or so.  But by the end of the night, she was a social butterfly.

Emily and G.

Rachel, Em and G.

Grace loved playing with Boston, she would pull his hat off, put it on her head, run away and then put it back on him.  He was a great sport.

Em an G.

Gracie talking to Uncle Craig.

Gracie just hugged Aunt Rose but my camera was too slow...so this is right after.

Ally and G.

Grama Jar knows just how to make her giggle.

Grampa Jar and Grace having a little conversation.  I think she is asking to drive his pretty sports car?!

This is after the party was over, everything was cleaned up and Gracie realized her birthday won't come again for another 365 days...so sad.