Birthday bash

Sorry I've been MIA for awhile!  Zach and I did a whirlwind 48-hour trip to Buffalo for a wedding, then it was full-on party prep during the week, then we had the big birthday party last Saturday, along with overnight guests.  So things have been just slightly busier than normal!

As you'll see from the pictures, we had a spectacular time celebrating Dan's 4th and Ben's 2nd birthdays!  So far, they don't seem to mind sharing a party, as long as they each get their own cupcakes.  Boys are so easy to please!  I decided on a construction theme to celebrate their love of digging and all things dirt-related and they loved it.  First, a few pictures of the decor (I don't have a creative bone in my body, so this is as good as it gets):

We are taking full advantage of living close to family for this year and are thrilled that so many of our loved ones could join us.  Zach's brother, Lee, and his wife Cassandra, came from Missouri with their three kids.  Aunt and Unc and Great-Grandma came from Oklahoma.  My parents, Layne, and Alex drove from Wichita.  And my Aunt Chris, cousin Julie, her husband Tim and their baby Jake trekked from Topeka.  It was so wonderful having everyone here!

The weather cleared up a few hours before the party (thanks, Hurricane Isaac) so the kids were able to play outside in the sandboxes and rock box that I'd set up.  Everyone loves digging!  Zach manned the grill while the other adults took turns supervising the four cousins.  Baby Jake and Baby Miles missed out on this dirty fun!  When we first moved here in July, Zach discovered a nest of baby rabbits in a little hole in our backyard.  I was going to show Corinne and Davis the hole, but I was surprised to see that the mama had four more babies in there.  They were so cute and furry and we just couldn't resist taking a peek every now and then to check on them.

After a delicious supper of Chiavetta's-marinated chicken, Guinness-soaked brats, hot dogs, pasta salad, and fruit salad, it was finally time for dessert.  Layne is an awesome baker and volunteered (okay, was asked by me) to make the cake.  She did a phenomenal job!  Not only did it look super cool, but it tasted delicious as well.  I made some cupcakes and decorated them with chocolate rocks to stay with the theme of the party.  

I ordered this photo cut-out picture board from Amazon and it was a big hit.  I think Corinne was the only one who really "got it," though.  Ben just liked sticking his head all the way through and wearing it around.

To complement the cake, my mom and dad made two kinds of homemade ice cream: vanilla and lemon.  The lemon was a recipe from my Grandma Alexander and it was amazing.  My mom decided not to use the 8 (!) cups of sugar called for and just used 4 and it turned out perfect.

After cake and ice cream, we headed out to the driveway to take some swings at a pinata.  (Or as Davis calls it, a peeeee-nata.)  All we had was a plastic t-ball bat, so it took quite a while.  Zach was losing patience and just wanted some candy so he ripped the bat away from Ben and took matters into his own hands.

Finally, it was time for presents!  All the kids were pretty tired at this point so Zach unwrapped most of the things and the kids would grab them and run off with them as they were opened.  We are so thankful to have so many people in our lives that love our kids and get them such great stuff for their birthdays!

Handmade by Unc.  

"Is this party over yet?  I'm tired."