A party post: a tad bit late

This year for Hunter's 3rd birthday we let him "pick" the theme!

Toy Story, DUH!!

To be honest, it took me a while to get excited to plan for this... I totally did NOT want the typical Disney Toy Story plates and all the other character covered party gear! So, to the help of Pinterest and a dozen party blogs, I was able to take bits and pieces of things I loved and tried to use them in our party.

{the party planning in my head always looks better than how it actually turns out}

Anywho, here's how it turned out!

                                                               Yummy Hideaway Pizza
                                                          PB&J's in sheriff badge shapes
                                                            Veggies and Fruit with dips

Chocolate Mr. Potato Head Mustaches

S'more marshmallow pops

Cake box cookies

Cupcake shooters

Sweet D's birthday cake

Candy: Lemon drops, hot tamales, and cotton candy

Photo booth fun!

Things to do:

Pony rides

Jupiter jump fun

"there's a snake in my boot" snake toss game

and

Pinata full of slinky dogs, raisins, m&m's, Toy Story fruit snacks and goldfish!

Woody even showed up to greet the birthday boy!

{thanks for shaving, Woody}

All in all, Hunter had a blast and that's really all that matters.

Seeing him smile and enjoy every part of his party is what makes this all worth it.

I absolutely love planning these parties for my kids even though I'm rushing around like a crazy woman the day of the party and the set up never turns out quite like I expect... and I know they won't remember the elaborate dessert tables, the cute Pom Poms, the candy jars full of color coordinating candies, and mason jar glasses for drinks with adorable striped straws. I only get to throw parties like this for a few more years before they are making their own requests!

{note to future party attendee's: please TAKE all the party favors... I am hoping to shower every kid with lots of love and goodies when you all travel all the way out to our parties, please, be greedy.}

On the farm...

We are greeted with tractors carrying the greatest Pops. We are "living" without cable! We eat only fresh, whole foods. The kids race outside as soon as they can. We are ALWAYS dirty. We love our goats, donkeys, chickens, dogs, and kittens. I HATE HATE HATE snakes, spiders, and scorpions. We have our own space to be our own little family... Where we wait for daddy to get home too. We eat reallllllly well. We sleep even better! We don't have a dishwasher, which helps with my dispise of unloading the dishwasher. We try to not to forget we don't have a garbage disposal too. We really AREN'T roughing it. Grammy's and Pops' is just over the hill. We have the cutest cottage I've ever seen. There's always something to do. We are thankful. 3 toddlers share a room. There's a huge pond to throw rocks in. We enjoy a nice swing under the biggest, shadiest tree. We never stay together. The kids end every day naked... Don't worry, I said just the kids! We have a lot of dirty, muddy laundry. My car is always dusty. Two puppies are always on my front porch. There are so many bright stars. It's peacefully peaceful.

Dear Hunter

I cannot believe you are already turning three yearS old. This year has been a complete whirl wind, just like every year it seems like since you were born. You amaze me with your uniqueness and adaptability. You are a true blessing to me and your daddy. Thank you for being everything that you are... So completely perfect, funny, handsome, and smart. I love that you do everything different. The "typical" baby milestones mean nothing to me anymore.. You've set a new bar and although it's not the "norm" I wouldn't have it any other way. You are the reason for my smiles... And bruises on my legs because you MUST stand on them and then pretend to balance like a crazy boy. Thank you for making every aspect of our crazy military life a little easier. You've already been to 17 states and moved countless times yet no matter where we are you are still the same Hunter we all adore so much. A quick recap from 2 years to 3 years old: -Daddy got home from "classified" right before your 2nd birthday. -Vacationed in Colorado for a week before heading back home to Noryh Carolina to settle in for our longest timeframe yet. -You survived your first major hurricane(Irene). -You got Kawasaki disease and were in the hospital for 2 weeks where you received two ivig treatments and one blood transfusion. -Mrs. Teresa started coming to the house for weekly speech therapy sessions. -We were told you had Autism... To us it's just a word nothing more. -Your passion for movies grew... And grew! -You were Buzz Lightyear for Halloween. -We drove 24 hours to Texas for Thanksgiving, then to San Antonio, than back to Oklahoma for Christmas. -Your favorite gifts for Christmas were your trampoline, Buzz, and motorcycle! -Potty trained!!!! Super easy, thanks buddy! -Uncle Ryan drove us back to North Carolina to get home to daddy. -Crammed as much fun in with daddy as we could... Hotels, children's museums, swimming, and you finally realized you loved the beach. -You got to stay with just mommy and daddy when daddy left for deployment then we drove back to Oklahoma with Mimi. -Grammy and pops bought a farm with puppies, goats, donkeys and chickens! -You rocked your 3rd birthday party that was Toy Story themed. Your words right now are bye, hi, yeee haaa, heeee haaa for donkey, hot, ball, buzz, momma(sometimes). And you can act out all of your favorite movies which are Toy Story 1,2,&3, Wall-E, Up, Tangeled, megamind(you are hilarious in this movie), and several others but mommy's drawing a Disney blank right now). You are the pickiest eater... I can't honestly say what you eat anymore besides rice krispies. Sometimes you love spaghetti and meatballs, hot dogs, and quesadillas. You wish you could live on chips but sadly mommy will never buy another bag of chips again because of your love for them. If any dessert has icing on it, you'll only eat the icing. If anyone takes a bite of something you don't like or if the dogs eat food out of someone's hand you will literally gag and throw up! You are so indenpendent and "tell" me everything you want with your actions(use your words buddy). Socks annoy you as do most shoes. You usually strip when we go outside, but I guess you just want an even tan. Animals love you and you love them. Your kisses are heart melting and when you put your arm around me and lay your head down I want to hold you forever. Hunter, you truly are the best little boy. There is nothing about you that I would ever change. You have taught me so much and I want to thank you for just baring with me while I figure this whole mommy thing out. Thank ou for being so very patient with your sisters. I'm sorry they take up so much of my time but they adore you, buddy. And one day... Or every now and then I think you'll really enjoy having siblings so close in age. You all three will have each others backs and will never team up on mommy :) I tell you every night before prayers how proud I am of you. This pride will only grow my sweet boy. Happy birthday baby!

Photo a Day: playing catch up

I have a very good, but unfortunate excuse for being so far behind on my photo posts... Hospital. Any who, lets just get after the days we have missed and get caught up just in time for my big 2-6 Birthday tomorrow!!

Day 8: Window

Another surprise weekend trip to Raleigh/Durham from the hubby.

Day 9: Red

My purse, nothing special. A little desperate.

Day 10: Loud

Last minute decision to drive home from Raleigh meant cranky kids on a 3 hour drive, at the worst time of the day to travel, and needing lots of attention. Hunter claimed the iPad, my iPhone, and his DVD player. All at the same time. 

Day 11: Someone you talked to today

This was the day I took Riley to the ER in Jacksonville, which led to ambulance transfer to Wilmington. I literally talked to 50 different people that day. Doctors, nurses, family, husband, friends, hospital staff, and EMT people.This is a picture of my pillows in the hospital room... where I finally got to close my eyes, calm my mind(sort of) and talk to the one person I needed to talk to, God.

Day 12: Fork

Hospital food!

Day 13: A sign

UNC Children's hospital... I wonder if the parents in other rooms actually save their urine?

Day 14: Clouds

Hospital view of Chapel Hill

Day 15: Car

Finally, car drive home from the hospital!

Day 16: Sunglasses

My beautiful Emma has become the biggest sweetheart lately... well she's always been one, but on a whole other level now!

Day 17: Green

Happy St. Patty's Day

{H sported his new Gap Toy Story shirt with his favorite green army men}

(Emma in the top left, Riley on the right)

Day 18: A corner of your home

The greatest, most important corner in my home.

The corner that gives me life in the mornings and "pick me up's" in the afternoon.

And that's that. I apologize... I'm still mentally and physically drained from our 6 days in the hospital and now packing up the house for our move in a week.

Info/Photo dump

What happens when your husband gets to take off work for 12 days and this is the last month you get to spend with him before he leaves for 8 months? 

You get out and do as much as you can and have as much fun as possible... and that's exactly what we did during his leave block!

Here's what we have been up to:

 Emma fell in love with playing dress up.

 We looked super, super cute at our first trip back to church since being home.

 Enjoyed our first Sonic cream slush...

 ...then we laughed when we dumped them all down our car seat.

Lost Riley... then found her playing upstairs in the sink with q-tips.

 Decided we actually DO love the beach!

 And eating the beach...

 ...and running from the waves.

 We toured the USS North Carolina.

Mommy and Riley got to spend the afternoon together in Wilmington after her appointment at the urologist. We shopped, shopped, ate lunch, and shopped some more.

{Riley's kidney reflux is a grade IV out of V meaning it is rather severe, but we will be on a preventative antibiotic until we decide to get the procedure to correct her ureters.}

 This past weekend we drove up to Raleigh and got settled into a super convenient and comfy two room hotel suite for the kids to run around in before we headed out for shopping, swimming, and the children's museum.

 Emma enjoying the observation deck.

 Emma enjoyed relaxing in the hotel room as much as Jake and I did.

 Point taken, extra big hotel room is the coolest!

Wear your kids out over the weekend and you'll get a peacefully 2.5 hour car trip home.

Okay, is this not absolutely precious and heart warming?

I always wonder what they think about having a sister that is always around and looks exactly like them... I guess they kind of enjoy it.

As soon as we shut the door after placing each girl into their own beds, we hear Riley run across and jump into her sisters bed. Sometimes they play a while first, but every time I go to check on them and cover them up, Riley is always is curled up with her giraffe and doggie in Emma's bed.

  

 We have been having so much fun and enjoying every second of Jake while we still have him home with us. I am so thankful for all the special trips and fun times we got to have together before it's time to say our goodbyes.