Special Visitors

We had some special visitors come to town the week of Thanksgiving. My Aunt Amy, Uncle Jim, Uncle Ross, and my cousins Emma and Evan. My kids are so lucky to get to spend time with their fun cousins.Every year for Thanksgiving my mom gives the kids a pair of pajamas. This year she told my Amy which pj's she was getting so Amy could get the same and all the kids would match. We had quite a time getting all 6 kids to look at the camera at the same time!

We moved to the couch hoping a new location would help.

The kids on the couch are Ben, Cooper, Emma, Elizabeth, Jackson and Evan.

My mom had a fun gingerbread party set up for the kids. She always decorates the table so cute!! She purchased 3 gingerbread houses already put together that the kids decorated after breakfast.

She found these cute headbands in the dollar section at Target. Perfect for the gingerbread theme.

After we ate the decorating started!

This kept everyone occupied for a long time - they all worked really hard and pretty much covered every surface of their houses.

Our finished product. Thanks so much for having us over, mom. We had a blast!

Ben and Cooper's Carnival Party

This year Jessica and I both wanted to have carnival parties for the boys, and since we have so many of the same friends we decided to combine the party. We had the party at my mom and dad's neighborhood rec room. We had major issues heading into the party. We had a big ice storm the week of the party, but luckily Jessica and I had most of the supplies all ready so we were ok for party day. We ended up postponing the party for a few hours to give the ice a chance to melt. It worked out well, the roads were perfect by party time!

We had quite a few carnival type games. At each game the kids had to pay a ticket to play the game and get a prize when they were finished.

The kids went fishing,

had to search for the correct duck in the duck pond,

and bounced ping pong balls into cups - they won a bag full of goldfish crackers when they got the ball in the cup.

They also knocked the cups over,

and made carnival picture frames.

When the kids entered they grabbed a goodie bag to put all their prizes in and a ticket box so they could pay for all their games and food.

The food table. It was funny because we had quite a few games and activities and I looked up about 25 minutes or so into the party and almost all the kids were done playing the games and were eating! I thought the games would last an hour or so! :) No one could pass up popcorn and cotton candy I guess! :)Looking the other way into the room.

The dessert table - Jessica and I both made 24 cupcakes and Jessica made some yummy marshmallow pops.

Another game - throwing the balls through the target.

The birthday boy - Cooper!

And the other birthday boy, Ben!

We set up a "photo studio" complete with clown noses and a clown wig.

I loved this one of Jackson!

Elizabeth was willing to pose for me -

in all different ways!

The birthday boy!!

During the party we had one of our friend's daughters be our face painter.

She did a fabulous job - all the kids loved it!

Our friend Jake.

Emma, Elizabeth, and Bailee doing the craft.

Ben with his cute face painting.

Our friend Jane loved the cotton candy.

So did her sister Jill!

More face painting.

Cousin Zach playing the target game.

We had this other photo place to get some pictures. I talked Bailee into

taking a picture here for me!

Cutie Ashlynn, her sister was the face painter.

Cousin Amelia, so adorable.

Drew was willing to pose for me, too! (One of the few who would wear the nose and wig).

Cousin Josh

Our neighbor, Emma.

The kids enjoying all the snacks and hotdogs.

Then it was time to sing happy birthday and blow out the birthday candles.

Then we played pin the tail on the donkey and hit the pinata! Poor Tom had to hold the pinata up for us, he got a great arm workout!

It finally broke and the gathering began.

Present opening time!!

We gathered all the kids for a group picture. I hope we got everyone!

Our family at the end of the party. We all look pretty exhausted! :)

It was a wonderful party. I was glad our two boys who love each other so much could enjoy such a fun party together.