Celebrating Six - Bethany's Garden Party!

Fun facts about today -

1. Just now when typing this, my font got stuck in BOLD and I couldn't, for the life of me, undo it. Finally some kind of miracle happened and we are looking at normal font...though...really...it still seems a bit big or bold or something...
2. The kids went to bed later than they were supposed to...again. Well, honestly, what am I supposed to do when there are only so many hours in the day after school for Bethany and it takes a couple hours of play at least to get through the fighting and into the really good play time and it is SO nice outside in the evenings?
3. Ben was half naked half the time they played outside.
4. He peed by the shed.
5. My Athleta magazine came in the mail today and it's my favorite day. I love looking through at all the awesome workout clothes and fantastic yoga poses the muscle-y models are doing. Someday when I am rich and have time to workout more, I am spending half my day in clothes from Athleta.
6. I have dirt under my fingernails. Planting is still in full swing. We plant our last stuffs on Friday morning and then we get to simply watch, tend, and wait for harvest.
7. I don't have anything else in mind to say particularly, but I feel like a list should go to ten.
8. My sister, Monica, understands this.
9. My husband, JC, never will.
10. I am finally going to write about Bethany's birthday party tonight. It was brilliant and busy and this post will probably be the same. Though...less brilliant. And it will probably take you as long to read about it as it took for us to actually have the party so if I lose you at this point, I understand. Thank you for stopping in.


For the rest of you...if I could give you ice cream sandwiches for your loyalty, I would. I don't have any and if I did I would hide them in the pantry freezer which is right next to my hiding spot I use sometimes when I'm "looking for something to make for lunch."
If I did that less, I could probably already be spending half my days in Athleta clothing.
Moving on...


Bethany and I talked about her party during the months preceding. Ideas bounced around, minds changed, and we even went through periods of disinterest, BUT it was finally decided that we would have a garden party with all her little girlfriends.
The ideas came rolling in (mostly thanks to my search engine) and before long, we had a couple hours' worth of flowery fun planned.
I created checklists, made sketches, enlisted helpers, and hoped it would be fun.
(That actually sounds a whole lot like my approach to life in general...)

The real busy work of getting ready started the day before, with Aunt Monica coming over to work on the garden path that would be leading from the front, where everyone would be arriving, around back, where we would be partying.
At first, I just thought I would do the sidewalk chalking, but then I realized that Monica has not yet gone back up to school and would perhaps like an artistic project. Considering she is going to school studying art. I convinced myself she missed it and wanted to do this. She helped convince me when she said, "I miss it and want to do this."
Then she came over and busied herself creating something that clearly jumped right into her head the minute I said, "garden path" and jumped right back out onto the concrete in exact form.
Way better than what I would have done.

Here it begins!

Here's Monica, utilizing James' scooter. She seemed rather giddy that she had discovered a way to improve the process with such a thing. I was giddy for her.

She also eventually utilized James' old gardening gloves for smudging and such.
Though she did give me an explanation about how it saved her fingers from becoming raw but didn't give the same effect because now the smudges didn't contain oil from her skin which enhances the colors.
Ah.
See? Artist.

Wouldn't you be thrilled to see what was at the end of this path?
My point exactly.

She also helped me out by doing a drawing for a game that was to be played.

Her finished flower and her encounter with Scout's affectionate side.

Alright, so, the next day, BETHANY'S BIRTHDAY, the kids indulged us and slept until like, seven thirty. What on earth...well, anyway, it was a treat. And Miss Bethany decided that since it was her birthday and since, after all, she had been a little sick, she would sleep in until EIGHT. I think I want that for my birthday next year.
Anyway, we went and got her up. The boys were so excited to give her the gifts they had for her!

Here's Miss Sleepyhead now!
(Her hair was crazy this morning haha)

The boys weren't interested in wrapping their presents. They didn't want to waste any time. James gets right to business. She still can't see straight.

But it doesn't take her long.

And even though it's sleep-puffed and blurry-eyed, I'm pretty sure that's a happy face!

We spent the morning getting ready for the party. We even had Grandma Teri over helping and spending time with the kids! By the time the mid-afternoon rolled around, we were "ready freddy." (A favorite phrase of the kids'. I am pretty sure my mom used to say that when I was little...)

Like I said, I had helpers on board and one of them was Bethany's Beloved Aunt Bonnie (yes, official title). She is an amazing photographer and I was so excited to have her help with this! You know how I love having pictures from events. Or...non-events. Haha but especially events! And I knew I could count on Bonnie to get some fantastic shots. So, all the pictures you see in this post are done by Bonnie. You already know where my link to her photography blog is over on the side but just for fun, remember, you can visit it here! I was so grateful because she not only got just a ton of snapshots of the action of the party but even spent some extra time on some of the pictures, making them especially gorgeous.
So, anyway, here is how it all went down (as seen by the lens of Bonnie's camera)

Our first guests were, of course, the handsome brothers.

And our birthday girl, already excited and showing off her present from Mom and Dad.
Tangled is the big thing right now for her.
Doesn't she look pretty in pink? :)

I spent some time finishing up the set-up. We were able to borrow tables, chairs, and tablecloths. I am so grateful for the generosity of others! It helped so much to have a place to put everyone!
I put the tables among our fruit trees. It felt dreamy. I want to have a garden party every day.

With fresh flowers in recycled glass jars as centerpieces.

And garden fairies in abundance. Every garden needs some garden fairies.
Ours were as follows:
Aunt Monica, Aunt Bonnie, Aunt Katie
(all my lovely sisters except Laura who had youth conference and was so sad she didn't get to dress up and come play! But, she was where she needed to be and she had a grand ol' time...just without the fairy wings...)
Don't they look perfectly darling???

Monica came to be in charge of face painting. You know, the whole artist thing.

Katie came to help make bracelets.
I figured she would have some good conversation with the ninos, as she calls them.

(Bonnie did not take a picture of herself. But she was our adorable pregnant fairy. And you already know her job.)

Monica started the face painting with Katie. The fairies get privileged access before hours.

Once the kids started rolling in, we split up into groups and got busy rotating among all the fun!
There was, of course, the face painting table.
You can see on the table, Monica had made up a sheet of paper with ideas the kids could choose from! All of them were appropriate for the theme and adorable.

A bunny!

Everyone waiting turns...

Ladybug Boy!

Caterpillar!
(I think this was my favorite...almost had her paint it on my face)

As I mentioned before, we also had a table for making bracelets, staring the KatieFairy.

Everyone got busy.

And it was good times.

Ben take this seriously.

And Bethany is overjoyed with her creation!

When the girls (and brothers) were not busy with one of those two stations, I had a little game for them. Here they are waiting in line for a turn. It was like a little plastic bug toss game utilizing the flower Monica had drawn the day before.

They also colored with sidewalk chalk.

And played on the swingset, of course.

And admired the plum tree in bloom.
Oh wait...that was probably just me.
And maybe Bonnie, since she took a picture of it.
But...she probably just did that for me because she knows I'm a freak about my trees.

After our games, we took some time to get some pictures of everyone.
This was the one thing I knew I wanted to do for sure...get pictures of them as flowers along the fence! I don't know what it is, it just tickles me.
Don't they look cute?
(I got behind on stuff I needed to get done and JC kindly did most of the work in assembling the face flower things. Nice boy.)
So, here's who we have, left to right:
James, Bethany, Livia Lunt, Emme (remotely new to her kindergarten class and our stake and yet I don't remember her last name!), Hannah Caffal, Carly Burdett, Maylee Lunt, Kenzie Nielson, Lainey Jones, Emily Kitterman (I think...school friend...still learning last names), Abbey Huish, Teagan Lunt (funny story...even though he is a boy and a couple years older, Teagan is my dear friend, Ali's son and our kids are so chummy, he was the first person she said she wanted to invite when we talked about a party. And he told his mom that even though it was a girlie party he wanted to just come and hang out. And as fate would have it, his dad was working that day so Ali brought all her kids and it worked out just like the kiddos wanted. Aw. So glad he was willing to be in the flower picture!), and last but not least, Jocelyn (school friend, will insert last name later!)
Our little flower garden of friends.

Then it was present time.
There is really no getting around that it is the most excited part for a six-year-old.

And it began...

I love this picture.
I didn't hear their conversation but JC said that it was a funny one.
Whatever Lainey was saying, Bethany wasn't buying it.
As you can see.
The dynamics of girl-friends begins early!

And how.

Such fun!

Something happened to this picture when it loaded and I might try to re-do it but for now I am lazy so I will leave it. Haha
But Teagan was so sweet, hovering nearby while she opened presents. It seemed like he helped her sometimes if she needed it. Aw. Brotherly.

Abbey helped with the excess amounts of wrapping paper that occurred!

Such a great scene for a bunch of kids!

Bethany's angel of a kindergarten teacher, Tracy Standage, even came by and arrived just in time for present time. She and I had some big laughs about something or other.
She is fantastic and fun.

Wow, maybe we were laughing at this pose Bethany struck.
Look at her go!

I love how happy she looks in all of these pictures.
(Oh but just noticed James' face hahaha. Less happy.)

Soon it was dinner time.
I did the planning but not much of the prep. That was done by JC, his mom, my mom and sisters. Big props to them for pulling off my vision. ;) And being willing to! Haha I bet they were like, "can't we just make regular sandwiches and cut up some veggies and fruit?"...
But this is what we had: flower-shaped turkey sandwich, a bed of shredded lettuce (like grass), and a strawberry ladybug made out of a blueberry, licorice, and mini-chocolate chips. And a strawberry of course.

Good times to be had.

These little girlies are all from our ward.

Birthday girl. Can't have enough of the birthday girl!

THEN came the real good stuff. Cake.
I found this idea online and loved it loved it loved it.
I got all the stuff, made the cake and Grandma Teri put it all together for me as I scrambled at the last minute! She did such a great job.
These are just mini terra cotta pots and they act as their own little ovenware! I just baked the cake mix right inside. Then when it's done, a little frosting, some crushed oreos, and silk flowers!
SO cute.

Here they are, ready to be delivered!

Biggest flower went to birthday girl.

The cute little Lunt girls are having a giggle about something and I love it.

Bethany took cake time very seriously.

Until now.
Bonnie said Ali's girls were making her laugh.
This picture is my favorite.

Meanwhile, the garden fairies were finding they were in need of entertainment and took to the pipe cleaners.
Now they look elvish. Elfish? I don't know. I'm a hobbit, remember?

I have great sisters.

It was so special for Bethany that Mrs. Standage came to her party. She loves her so much!

And Grandma Teri as well! She did so much to help get ready and even took the time for a flower power pic.

Aunt KatieFairy made things extra fun as usual.

And we couldn't have done it without our very own pixie (new haircut!), Aunt Monica!

And, finally, the one who gave us all these wonderful pictures!
Aunt Bonnie and a little barely-there belly bump of a cousin!

Wouldn't have been a party without Grandma Trudie. So glad she came!

Then there's us.
(JC in his final hours without a cast on his arm haha)

Good ol' Scout was, of course, there.
He has a real soft spot when it comes to Bethany.
Then again, if you really look at him, he is kind of one big soft spot.
Big being the key word there.

Once things started winding down and there were just a few friends left, Ben became the star of the show. This was some sort of catch and release game. Ben was dragging them, one by one, to 'time out' and they thought it was hilarious.
My favorite thing about this picture is Emme in the background, mid-run.

Playing along.

Our good friend, Kenzie, really getting into the spirit of the game. She and Ben seem to have a bond of sorts.

After all was said and done, we were all that was left.
Our very own little growing garden.

It was such a fun day! Getting to watch Bethany with her friends, enjoying the party, and spending the whole day out in the gorgeous spring weather...I don't think it could have been a better day! She really seemed to have a great time. She is such a good girl and we are so lucky to have her. As she gets older, and yet stays just as sweet and kind-hearted, we are so thrilled to be witnessing such a wonderful life. Only six years so far...it seems we have had her forever, and yet it is such a small and crucial part of her time here on earth. I know these first few years will help to shape who she becomes during this life. I know our role as her family is so important and we certainly do the very best we can but I also know that she is so very special and such a strong spirit that she is already doing much of the shaping of her future on her own. It is so apparent to me that there is so much beauty and joy in store for her because that is exactly what she brings to this world.

And that's all she wrote.