Birthdays

Our birthdays come in sets.  Bethelle's precedes mine by just three weeks, and the new baby should be born three weeks after mine.

The lucky little seven year-old got three parties this year.  The first was a fruit-themed event with a few friends from school.  The girls painted fruit pictures and ate fruit pizza.

The next week was a combined birthday party with her cousin who turned six.  We had my side of the family over for an early Easter dinner and cake.  My camera was still out of commission at the time, but my mom brought her camera to save me.

Here are the birthday girls.  Bethelle requested chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter icing.

She has gotten so big.  She tells me that she is the smallest first-grader at school, and that she is smaller even than most of the kindergarteners, but that is so hard for me to believe.  She is so big to me; so old.

My mom brought all the supplies for a birthday egg hunt with the cousins.  These guys are anxious, and do not understand the need to hold still for a picture when there are candy-filled eggs to be found.

The following weekend was Easter, which we spent with Nick's family.  This Easter dinner was also a party for Bethelle, complete with cupcakes and presents after the fabulous meal.  Nick's sister, Trish, made the beautiful chocolate cupcakes, and they were admittedly much better than mine the previous week.

My birthday was a little slower than the party girl's events.  The kids get a confused look on their faces whenever they become aware that an adult is having a birthday with no party, or that the family may be getting together for the birthday, but there is no party theme or particular decor.  Even in their confusion, we had a great day.  A good friend and Nick brought me flowers and Bethelle and Rigby gave me this great card.

 Aren't they clever?

 And sweet?

Nick brought home take-out that lasted for two dinners.  After eating, we took the kids to the grocery store to pick out a tiny cake for me in the bakery, which we took to a frozen yogurt shop where they sang to me and I even got to blow out a candle.  It was a great night with my favorite people.