Addie's 5th Birthday Party

i love doing birthday parties for our girls. i especially have loved doing them as they've gotten older to reflect the various stages of their life. this year, well, the creative wasn't happening. i'd been sick for weeks, and it wasn't letting up.

so we planned a little more low key gathering of friends not at our home.
except we don't do low key very well. i'd say addie is a pretty blessed with some sweet friends, some of which we met and kept up with from the time she was little until now!

so while it probably didn't appear to be low key to anyone but us, it was! and my #1 goal was a success: for addie (and her friends) to have fun! she loved every minute of it right up until the happy birthday song started. then not so much, but we'll get to that later.

they divided the kids into 3 groups. one group went to the obstacle course.

another group went to the foam block pit and got to jump in!

i think that might have been this BIG girl's favorite!

and the littles loved it too!

i think they loved being with the big kids most of all!

sweet laura (on the left) is a little younger than our little girls and the younger sister of one of addie's sweet classmates. she was itching to come play with the big kids, so i took her out for a few minutes before the end. she smiled the whole time!

i think everyone enjoyed the blocks!

...especially some of the more daring boys! 

another group headed to the trampoline...

serious big girls cuteness!

and much to the instructors surprise, i put all the little boys in the same group. they rocked, so there were no problems to be had!

addie loved the trampoline!

and of course audrey kate and anne perry did too!

after a group picture, they did a relay race with everyone. there was lots of giggling and laughing!

   

and it was time for a snack and cupcakes! 

so as not to appear too random, addie wanted a rainbow art party originally. mama couldn't pull that one off, so it became a rainbow gymnastics party, complete with rainbow cupcakes and rainbow cupcake wrappers and lots of color! except this little girl apparently doesn't enjoy being the center of attention and having happy birthday sung just.to.her! so that bottom right picture became the best birthday party picture ever...of sorts. when all else fails, hide your face while everyone sings!

 

but she got over it quickly and enjoyed the rest of her party!

these two little girls have been friends since they were barely a year old. their mama's have become fast friends as well. their daddy's were already friends from college! but i love these two pictures of them. the hugs and smiles and giggles celebrating together! we can't wait to celebrate with cady in june! this was addie's four year old teacher for most of the year. her husband got transferred, and so she was moving sometime in march. she wasn't even working at the gym anymore, but agreed to come back and do addies party. thank you mrs. allie for being so sweet to our girl! as we were letting the kids eat their cupcakes, the main instructor shared with me that they've never had a group of kids this large not have at least a couple of trouble makers. but she said this group of kiddos was one of the most well behaved party they'd seen. i might have beamed with pride; not because my child or i had a thing to do with it, but because we are so incredibly blessed with like-minded friends!!!

addieboo, you glowed all day with excitement and joy! we love you're wild spirit and sweet heart, and we could not be more blessed to have you as our precious first born and now big girl five year old soon to be kindergartner! happy birthday sweet addie!