Monday, September 19, 2011

A Very Yee Haw Cowboy Party


My baby boy turned three years old. I can't tell you how much that makes me want to wrap him up and hold him like I did just three years ago. He is such a big boy now... talking in sentences and doing things all by himself. He is so independent... but totally takes advantage of me wanting to do things for him still. He pretends he can't put his shoes on and asks for help going potty.

I asked him what kind of party he wanted to have. He would bounce back and forth between a Cowboy party and a Dog party. I looked some decor ideas up online and thought a Cowboy party would be more fun!

I used a new site called Pinterest to help organize the whole event! It really was fun!

Elijah was so excited to wear "Cowboy" clothes. His Auntie MooMoo bought him Toy Story Cowboy boots, that Light up! These are the Louboutin of toddler character shoes! Eli comes from a long line of gun tote-ing boys. He has his Uncles and older cousins toy guns... perfect decor for his cowboy party.
Most everyone dressed in their finest goat roapin apparel.
My Aunt Mary (Auntie MooMoo) made the banner. I bought twine and different "old fashioned" looking fabric. She cut out triangles and sewed them so the edges wouldn't frey. She just threaded the triangles through the twine then.

The grub included baked beans, corn on the cob and some cowboy liquor... and some of Granny's Moonshine. Corn on the cob was made from boxed lemon cake, I added boxed lemon pudding mix to make it extra fluffy... with can lemon frosting. The topping is coconut Jelly Belly's and lemon flavored marshmallows. I had to buy three bags of the assorted fruit marshmallows and just pick out the yellow ones. The little pats of butter are actually half of a banana flavored Laffy Taffy. They sat on top of tin plates Eli's Great Gramie has saved from Marie Calender take home pies.

No Cowboy shindig is complete without some beans! These beans are made up of two German Chocolate cupcakes (made from a box recipe with added vanilla instant pudding mix). Topped with pecan frosting from a tub and some Boston Baked beans! I had bought some canned pineapple's, the kind with the easy open lids... took the pineapple out, took the wrapper off and washed out the cans so the beans could have that rustic look.

For some reason many of the photos came out a yellowish color... not sure why!
I was sure the adults wouldn't want to sip out of little juice boxes so we put some lemon-aid in this and just labeled it as Moon shine. The boot glasses come from Disneyland over 15 years ago!
"Pop the Pig" game. The piggies didn't pop so easy though.


Eli is an Outlaw... so a Sheriffs Office was totally necessary!






Some more decor Eli's Auntie Katie painted!




The Cowboy goody bags are made out of simple brown paper lunch bags, sharpie marker and left over twine. Inside was a 100,000 Grand chocolate bar, some chocolate gold coins and some Hershey Chocolate Nugget bars. The milk crate is totally authentic, it was borrowed from Eli's Papa.


This Cowboy Party was a total success!


Thursday, September 8, 2011

My Rainbow Baby



Waiting for Ana was a long and painful process. Two years almost exactly of intense planning and earth shattering heartbreak... I truly believe that God had us wait for her specifically though. She is a different kind of baby. There is just something about the light that shines in her eyes... it's like nothing I have ever seen before... it is like you are looking at Heavens light. I have spent almost every waking moment with her for the last three months and that glimmer of light in her eyes STILL makes me stop and stare at her.



She makes people happy. Not just us, family and close friends... everyone that sees her stops and smiles... chuckles a little... then walks away happier. Running errands with her takes twice as long because of all of the "gushers". People are just drawn to her. I think it is because of the light she carries. It is like they are drawn to that little piece of Heaven.


Anamarie is our second Rainbow Baby... a rainbow after the storm. We have never been so happy! Two amazing children... two incredible miracles! Praise Jesus!