Laurens 4th Birthday Carnival!

Today we had Laurens first birthday party.   I wanted to have a birthday party for her, she doesn't play with any other kids so we have never had her a party before but it was really important to me that she gets celebrated just the same.  She is so important to us and we love her so much I wanted to celebrate her!

I wanted to do a carnival theme for her. We had her party up north so all my family could come. Thanks to my mom it was an amazing party. She put so much time into it! And it all was incredible! I thought up the midway booth games to play and we rounded up the supplies.

Lauren invite

The bing sling was probably to funnest game, you had to use a water balloon sling shot with a  large marshmallow and hit the bowling pins down...it was harder than you think. 

Thanks to Melissa and Shawn they let us use their cotton candy machine and a popcorn popper, a must for a carnival.

Because we were traveling and I only had saturday morning to set up I did not make a cake, which I was a little sad about, we were serving hot dogs, popcorn, peanuts, cotton candy and cheese balls so I thought cupcakes were enough.

Some of us dressed up, Christian was a lion

I was a clown

Shawn was the tall man on stilts

Papa was the ring master

Richard made this AWESOME barbell to be our strong man, I am so sad I didn't get a picture of him holding it.  It was the best and it was so fun to have.

Let the games begin.  Each person got tickets at each game according to how well they did.  If they won the game with got an instant prize and at the end of the night they got to pick a prize in the order of who had the most tickets.

Christian, Gauge, Kaden and Ashton

Kagan doing the bing sling

Kaden at Ring Toss ran by Grandma Stewart

Ashton playing bulls eye, with Jodilyn

Gauge trying bing sling

Kevin and Uncle JDee

Layla (friend) and Jodilyn at bulls eye

Aliyah won the lucky ducky

Jodilyn, Taysin, Ashton and Layla at Bulls eye

Aliyah, Taysin and New Grandma at bing sling

Aunt Linda ran lucky ducky and help take pictures.

Gauge and Kaden

G. G. (Grandma Stewart) ran the ring toss.  Kagan

Kaden and Aunt Linda a  Lucky Ducky

Kevin at bing sling

New Grandma ran ping the pong, you had a water gun and had to shot a ping pong ball off a 2 litter bottle, Kaden is shooting

G.G.  at bing sling

Christians favorite game

We had a TATS booth, I wanted to do face painting but one can only do so much, so tattoos were the next best thing.  Kaden proudly showing his tat.

Kaden, Jodilyn and Shawn.  The boys loved trying out the stilts

New Grandma at bing sling

This MAY or may not be me gloating about winning the bing sling.  Yes the only girl in the family beats her brothers, Mom, Dad, Grandma, Aunt, Uncle cousin and friends.  TOOT TOOT, oh am I still tooting my horn :-)

Now you might be saying where is Lauren:  right where she wants to be!

Outside with Uncle Kev, they would walk across the street get some rocks then go throw them into a ditch, over and over and over.  Lauren was with me all day while we were setting up so the surprise and fun of it was a little worn off by then but she still had a good time

She played with Melissa and Shawns dog too.

Then I thought I should try to get her to come in to have everyone sing happy birthday to, how do you do that you ask?  Get a lighter, like a moth to a  flame she'll come running. :-)

Blowing out her #4 candle

The fun didn't stop there.  I lit the candle or lighter till my finger hurt, then Papa had a go then Jodilyn finished it up.  Notice the little pony Lauren has. Yes that is a present from her Uncle Char, it came unwrapped and do you think she could be interested in any other presents.....nope.  Char stole the show again, he did this at Christmas to.  Note if you want Lauren to open presents you leave the pony for last.:-)

Happy Birthday my sweet Lauren!  Mommy and Daddy love you more than you can ever know! You are our special little girl!  You teach us so much and show us what pure joy, happiness and love looks like.  You hold a very special place in the hearts of those that take the time to know you and how special you are. I thank Heavenly Father everyday he let us have you. You mean the world to us!

Thanks to:

New Grandma, all this would not have happened without your help

Papa, for babysitting and buying cotton candy and popcorn and helping clean up

GG, for helping set up and clean up and running the ring toss

Aunt Linda for use of her cricket and time helping mom and  running Lucky Ducky

Jodilyn for doing Bulls eye

Melissa, thanks for helping set up, clean up and the cotton candy and popcorn machine

Everyone for coming and mostly for loving Lauren!!