A 4th Un-Birthday Tea Party

Well, it's birthday season again here in Ririeville and unsure of how I'd be feeling 3 weeks postpartum, I put party planning on the back burner...however, I figured last minute if I could go grocery shopping, and run errands and was back to doing almost all normal activity, I could certainly whip up a last minute soiree.  Mia had been dying to have an Alice in Wonderland themed party, which being so last minute didn't get to include all of the details I'd hoped , but it came across pretty well, and was a fabulous little tea party turn out.

 I got a few tea sets at our local thrift store for .30 a piece and added some flowers and dollar tree doilies to the table, a burlap runner, and little thrift store tea pots.

I used old tissue paper to make these pom poms

I used the recipe for Hershey's famous Perfectly Chocolate chocolate cake and icing on the back of their cocoa box, and had a Polly Pocket double as Alice falling down the rabbit hole. The cake wasn't fancy but was absolutely decadent if I do say so myself.

 I got this idea from Pinterest using coffee filters and spray paint

 I served yummy and easy finger foods with pink lemonade

 thankfully everyone was willing to help out with little Ainsley

 all of Mia's besties from school showed up, along with her church and gymnastics friends

 we played simple games like Alice in Wonderland Bingo...

... Hot Potato with Mrs. Pots

 pull string piñata

 her first fishing pole, from her big brother, bought with his own allowance...dare I say it was her most favorite gift.

it was a great time and I'm so glad I did it.

So cute!

More of my girl

This girl wouldn't curl even in the first hours of her life, which explains why all she did was kick me for the better part of my pregnancy. Maybe a newborn photographer would've been able to pose her better, but the only photogs I'd trust are back in Humble, boo, wish you were here!

Curse you camera lens !

 Mia had her very first ever Gymnastics competition, and what happens? My lens decides to crap out, ughh, so not cool! Apparently the focus mechanism just decided to stop working. I will never get that moment back... didn't stop me from snapping away- so here are the only images that you can even make out a shape, I'm still proud of my girl, she was amazing.

Holiday Wrap up 2012

Being in Florida this holiday season was bitter sweet... we missed our loved ones something awful, but are grateful for all of the relationships we've established here and all of the opportunities that John's project has presented.  With that being said, we made the most of our time before baby Ainsley was expected to come, hoping that it would either before or after Christmas so that I could be home to open gifts with the kids on Christmas morning... I am so grateful I was able to see Mia in her school Christmas program and do all of the other little Christmas traditions that our family enjoys. Here's a little recap.

Since our little Mia is so unpredictable, we didn't know how she was going to do with her speaking part, but she nailed it!

 I loved this idea...Mia's music teacher wheeled in a beautiful cake to remind the children of the true meaning of Christmas, Jesus's birthday.  The kids blew out the candle after the program and it was the sweetest thing.

Here they are enjoying it 

The one tradition that John and I both had when we were little was opening one gift on Christmas Eve.  Not a surprise, this might be the kids favorite. 

Beckham definitely understood the unwrapping a gift concept... he waned to open everyones present