Can You Tell Me How To Get To...William's 2nd Birthday Party?!

Sunday, September 29th we had William's 2nd Birthday Party!! Yes, it was the same day as his dedication. Yes, it was a little hairy having both events on the same day. However, when your husband is a restaurant manager, you find ways to make things work so that he can actually BE at the important events. ;)

Forgive the crooked invitation below, but I wanted a copy for my records on here. If I can ever figure out how to turn it on Blogger, I will. We had his party at The Little Gym in Cary. It started at 1:45, and I think we showed up at 1:35. It honestly was the easiest party ever, and worth every penny! TLG handles all of it! We brought our own supplies, and I dropped everything off on the Friday before the party. When we got there, they had the tables set up with table covers, plates, napkins, cups, centerpieces, balloons, etc. So awesome! The kids spent an hour in the gym with two instructors. They did not stop the entire hour!! William had a total blast. He loved having all of his friends there! I wish we could have invited EVERYONE we know!!! We had a great mix - old friends of mine, new friends from church, neighbors, family, co-workers, and friends I literally "met" blogging. Who would have thought a few years ago when I first started reading their blogs, that their kids would by at MY kid's party?! So crazy!!! And special!

They played with the big parachute, sang Happy Birthday to William twice (his fave), played on an inflatable bounce thing haha, with balls and bubbles, and then just had free play to run and go crazy in the gym. After the gym, it was cake time! I decided to just do cupcakes this year - many thanks to Hannah and Pam for setting them up for me when we first got there! ;) William had a giant Elmo cupcake. He was obsessed. He just ate all of the icing off and left the cake, ha! He is a mess.

Anyway, we had a great party! To be honest, it was a lot less stressful than last year. I didn't decorate at all besides a Sesame Street banner I found online and some balloons! All of the paper items - invites, cupcake toppers, thank you cards, I ordered from our same lady as last year from Top That Designs on Etsy. She was super sweet and easy to work with. My mother in law and I bought the cake stands, and then glued ribbon around the edges to make them match the party! (This was big for me haha - I am not a DIYer). I found the favor bags at Kroger randomly one day. I LOVED some that were handmade on Etsy, but they were $2 a bag!!! And for something that goes in the trash! I don't think so! These did the trick! Inside the bags, we put SS bubbles, a SS book, SS stickers, and a SS party blowout. Thank you to all of the people who took pictures and sent them to me! The pictures on here are a mix of a bunch of people - some were my own, some were taken by my friend Megan, some by my mother in law, and a lot from my good friend, Jennifer with Martinez Photography! All in all, it was such an easy and stress-free party! I would totally recommend The Little Gym to anyone having a birthday party! We literally walked out of the party with our guests; no cleanup or anything! So nice!!!

Thank you to everyone who made it out for our sweet boy's celebration. He had an awesome time, and Robbie and I loved catching up with the adults, too! ;) We look forward to the blessings in store for this next year!!!

So cute! All set up by TLG!

 

The pictures of the gym time are all out of order. I just can't bring myself to re-organize them, ha!

William just giggled and screamed the whole time!!

Looks like Robbie enjoyed it too! ;)

<3

So blessed! Laura, Ashley, Ashley, me, and Megan. Anddd sweet Claire!

<3 Coworkers Lisa and Tanya and their girls, Titi and Chiara! Love them!

Birthday boy's cupcake!

 

 

 

  

Cousins!

 

I'm sure the cleanup crew LOVED the frosting handprints :/

Squeezing Molly before she left! <3

The Browns! Plus Hannah! :)

After-party - trying on our hats!

And running around with party balloons!

 

Reading a bedtime story! A new book from The Butchers, while holding some new toys :)

Everything's Changed...

This past week, Robbie, William, and I vacationed at his parents house in moyock. It was a nice, relaxing time. We usually are in such a rush when we come home, we decided just to spend a few days relaxing and seeing people we usually don't have a chance to see!

I will blog more details of our trip later (we had a birthday celebration for Robbie and a super fun trip to Busch Gardens), but for now, I am riding in the car beside Robbie, with a sleeping baby in the backseat, and just reflecting. 

When I was in high school I thought it was going to be so sad to leave Elizabeth City. I hated to leave my parents and my very best friends. Luckily, a few of those best friends were right with me in Raleigh. Now that I've been gone TEN (can't believe it!) years, I can't imagine anywhere but Raleigh being home. 

If this is such a happy place, then why are my eyes tearing up thinking about it?! Why have I had more than one moment of sadness cripple me as we drove around all my old hangouts?? I kept telling Robbie, "everything has changed". He keeps asking me what I mean. I'm not sure how to put it into words. Sure, the buildings, shops, neighborhoods have all changed. So many places that made my childhood are gone and boarded up. On the other hand, so many things are still around! Still, sadness. 

On the way to Shelley's house, I passed a lot of roads I used to travel on with my best friends, usually stalking guys! ;) I told Robbie, many a gas tank was wasted traveling up and down this road haha! 

Now after ten years that have completely flown by, Elizabeth City doesn't hold the same magic that it used to. Maybe it's because we've finally found our niche in Raleigh. Maybe it's because I'm married and have such a wonderful blessing in William. Maybe it's because mama and hannah moved there, and that brings "home" to me. Whatever the reason, I am thankful for EC and all that has changed in my life since I left. 

There is a lot less worry now about what others think (living in a small town does that to you), friends who you thought were lifelong are now just names you very rarely say. Not to say there aren't things I miss there. To name a few: Erica, Shelley, Tiffany, my Daddy, my aunt and uncle, Robbie's parents, Scott, Pam and Jeremiah, Wildflower's grilled chicken over pasta, Cypress Creek's crab dip, Big Daddy's burnt cheese pizza, Nu-quality's awesome ice cream, 3 amigos' crazy good white dip, In Stitches' wonderful monogramming, and of course, the place I met Robbie, and the reason I've lived the life I have - Jennette Brothers. 

Elizabeth City will always hold a special place in my heart. Many memories, both good and bad, were made there. But to tell you the truth, home is where my husband and baby are, and for now, that is Raleigh, and I couldn't be more happy. I can't wait to get home. 

William's Dedication

Sunday, September 29th, we dedicated William at our church. It was such a special time for us. Our church doesn't do baptisms for babies, just a dedication. They feel that a baptism should be made by someone a little older, once they can profess their own faith. This was our way of dedicating him to the church, and the Lord, and promising to raise him in a Christian environment, as well as get a promise from the congregation to help with that task!

William had a special outfit made for the occasion, and given to us by his Grandma, Linda! I LOVED it! So perfect. We were at church early that morning, to line up with all of the other parents and babies. William was the oldest of the group, but as the lady at church told me when we signed up, it is never too late to dedicate your child to the Lord! The dedication was at the beginning of the service, and we all stood on the stage. We were presented with a Jesus Storybook Bible, and had a nice prayer from Pastor Horner. While he was praying, William shouted out, "AAAAMEN!!". I about died, but no one even heard it in the audience. He also saw Hannah, and kept saying her name over and over, haha!

Ashley, Willie, Molly, and Claire joined us, as well as Mama, Hannah, Leroy, Linda, Scott, Pam, and Jeremiah! I even had a sweet co-worker come to see us! It was just so special having everyone there, and the Butcher family was just a great surprise! We all enjoyed a great sermon and then had lunch at Dickey's BBQ. We then had to rush around for the big birthday party!!! Post to come soon! ;)

Ready to go!

Anxious about going on stage?! ;)

Grumppppy!

Chatting with Grandpa

<3 so sleepy!

<3

Willie and sweet Claire

How do I look with a girl in my arms?! ;)

Robbie and I are soooo thankful for the promises of the Lord, and are excited about our challenge to "train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

Cowfish!

A couple weeks ago, Robbie, William, and I joined Mama, Hannah, and Kay at Cowfish in North Hills! It is a trendy, sushi/burger restaurant that we have heard a lot about lately! We have been dying to try it. Robbie and I stuck with burgers, of course. The atmosphere was awesome! Tons of fish tanks (William loved it, and was on the search for Nemo.)

William's dinner was a Bento box with peanut butter and jelly "sushi", fries, apples, and rice! It was sooo cute! We had a great dinner, and finished it up with the wait staff singing Happy Birthday to William, a few days early!!