Par-TAY!

A few months ago I conned  talked my dad into helping me plan and execute a surprise party for my mom's 60th birthday.  We wrangled her BFF, Bonnie, into being our accomplice.

This is Bonnie.  My partner in crime.  And her husband Paul. He was pretty useful, too. :)

Really.  She was a necessity.  I do not get party planning love from my dad. :)  My mom was 110% surprised.

Mom and Dad.  Mom's still taking it all in.  BTW, the photo booth was a huge success.

So many friends and family members came out to show her some birthday love.  My favorite moment of the entire evening was when she turned around and saw her dear, dear friend Suzanne Hansen waiting to embrace her.

Mom and Suzanne gettin their glamour on.

I think my mom got rather teary.  (Which is the signal of instant success in the Marchant family.)  It was a lovely way to celebrate an lovely woman.

Just a few short days later, Miss Sophie had a "kingdom celebration" to celebrate her 6th birthday.  (6 is apparently the "it" number this year. :)  She was so excited for her party. I don't think she really even cared about her actual birthday.  We tried to go all out on the decor.  Darn wind was being a party pooper.  We did our best though with balloons and kingdom flags strung across the yard and, starting at the slide "tower" where Rapunzel her self was peeking out of a window, yellow crepe paper  going every which way.  Sophie wore her Rapunzel dress all day in anticipation.

 We played lots of fun carnival games like ring toss, pin the frying pan on Flynn, raced Pascal around a tree and more.

All the kids got to make a paper lantern.  (Too bad I forgot to send them home.  Oops.)  The crowning event though was the face painter.  My cute friend and visiting teaching partner is an amazing face painter.  We were lucky enough to schedule her to come and help us celebrate. (Really-she is amazing. And affordable. You can check her out here.)

It was so much fun celebrating birthdays.  I was completely worn out after such a crazy week.  (Did I mention that the first party came two DAYS after we came home from vacation?!)  It was so worth it, though.  Happy sigh.