Double the Fun!

This year the twins got to have not one but TWO birthday parties!

Friend Party

The celebration started on Saturday with a party for their little friends at My Gym.

Waiting for the guests to arrive!

Intently listening to game rules.

Playing "Mr. Fox. . .What Time is It?" (Check out video below.)

The highlight of the party for most was riding the zipline.

More zipline fun!

The guests of honor got this sweet ride and arrived for group pictures.



Show us your muscles!



Making their scariest faces!

Sammy T. decided to help Brayden & Makenzie blow out candles.

Presents!

Thanks to all of our friends—Kayla & Korvin L, Jack & Evelyn H, Baily & Kyla R, Sammy & Jack B, Julia C, and Kara J—for celebrating with us and making the party so much fun!

Birthday Morning

On Sunday morning, the twins got to their presents from our immediate family. They got puzzles, a game from Lexi, their very own Camelbacks for hiking and bikes and bike helmets!

Of course Lexi thought she was big enough to ride the bike too!

After breakfast we went outside to teach the kids how to ride their bikes. Makeznie jumped right on and started riding before we could even tell her where the brakes were. She literally rode circles around Brayden, as you can see in the video below.

Family Party

I decided to use a Candy Land theme for our family party on Sunday evening.  

The Invitation.

I had grand plans for the decorations; unfortunately Mother Nature's plans were more grandiose than mine. I bought 34 yards of butcher paper to construct a game board in the backyard, but I couldn't even keep the paper in place long enough to hold it down with 2x4's. Stupid wind!

The guests of honor at the start of the Rainbow Trail, behind them you can see the Lollipop Woods.

Close up of the lollipops (my favorite decoration) , the Peppermint Stick Forest and the Ice Cream Floats.
Unfortunately, the wind blew away the other ice cream decoration.

 

The guests got to visit the Candy Bar and fill up loot bags to take home.


We decided to have the relay race before dinner while the weather was somewhat cooperative. Team Green consisted of Kara, Grandma R. and Andy. Team Yellow was Makenzie, Jenna and Brian. Team Pink was Brayden, Dallin and Grandpa M. For the first leg of the race the little ones had to carry a marshmallow on a spoon a plate.

Those in the second leg had to eat the marshmallow (which was covered with toasted coconut), two Hot Tamales and a Tootsie Roll.

Jenna DID NOT like the marshmallow!

But Grandma Rhodes had no problem eating it and showing the judge she had swallowed everything!

Contestants in the third leg had to run across the grass, blow up a balloon and bring it back to the start where they popped it with the help of another team member.

Team Green won!

After the relay race, we ate a quick dinner. It came to an ubrupt end when the wind started blowing people's plates across the table.

We managed to snap a hasty picture of all the guests before it started raining.

Opening presents inside. The twins were SPOILED!
Thanks to everyone for such thoughtful gifts.

Time for cake! Sticking with the Candy Land theme, I made a gingerbread man and a cake complete with gumdrops and ice cream cones. After the party Brayden told me he didn't like the shapes of the cakes and wanted different ones next year.

The party wasn't quite as sweet as I had imagined, but it didn't suck. I am already planning next year's Beach Bash in my head. I'm pretty sure I need some professional help from a twelve step program of some sort. Is there such a thing as Party Planners Anonymous?