Another Party

We had Laurel's third and final birthday party on Saturday!  She invited seven friends from her school and her brother and sister.  We had a great time and our sweet, introverted Laurel felt very special!

 

Black, white and pink decorations

Simple food spread....Minnie Mouse cupcakes!

Our birthday girl dressed for the part

The girls (and Levi) decorated bows...

...to play pin the bow on Minnie!

Laurel cheated a bit and got the bow right on Minnie's head

Everyone else did surprisingly well

Then, we made bracelets with ribbons and buttons

After playing upstairs in Laurel's room for a while, we came down to eat birthday cupcakes

Laurel is not super skilled in candle blowing.  She somehow manages to blow right over the flame every time and not even make them flicker!

Present opening

Playing games

And having a dance party

What a fun party!  But seven little preschool girls is very tiring!  I am very glad that birthday party season is over.  Although Erika is already making plans for her party.  And so it continues.....

5th Birthday Party

Back in April, our family won a raffle item from Erika's school carnival for a birthday party package at a local indoor water park.  We decided to treat Laurel to the birthday party...since her birthday is in the winter, it would be fun to swim even when it is cold outside.  On her 5th birthday, we took our family, Grandma Parnell, Grandpa and Grandma Hammar, Aunt Sarah, and cousins Ashley and Judah to have fun at Evergreen Wings and Waves water park!  It was amazingly fun for the kids and the adults!  Four bigger water slides, several small slides for the kids, a wave pool, and a tree fort with water slides and spray guns for the kids.  We had so much fun!  Most of us arrived right when the park opened at 10am and practically had the park to ourselves!  Sarah, Matt, and I took advantage of the few people in the water park and went down the adult friendly water slides over and over with virtually no lines.  Erika spent most of her time in the wave pool.  She is really trying hard to become a better swimmer and loved the big pool to practice in.  Laurel was our wild girl and went down the water slides over and over again!  She was just tall enough to ride the faster slides and went down with different combinations of adults with her.  It was so fun to hear her scream the entire way down the slide!  Levi liked the tree fort the best and pulling different ropes that would make water pour down on his head.  After swimming for a couple hours, we dried off and went to the party room where we had pizza, soda and cake.  The room had a boat shaped table/chair combo that was quite cute!  It also had a Wii to play while we ate.  Laurel opened her presents and then we changed back into our suits and continued our fun in the water!  We stayed at the park until 3pm and then went home for birthday hamburgers and Cheetos....the birthday girl's request.  Laurel loved her 5th birthday party!  And, she gets to celebrate one more time this coming weekend with her friends from preschool!

 

A Handful

January 2009

 

January 2010

January 2011

January 2012

January 2013

 

 Our sweet, lovely, laid-back, smart, sensitive little girl turns five today!  Laurel Ann was born early on a Sunday morning in just three short hours and turned out to be the easiest baby we had.  Once she came home, she was perfectly content to be part of the family!  God placed her just perfectly in the middle-she is a great younger sister and loves her older sister fiercely and is the perfect big sister to Levi, helping him learn and grow.  From infancy, Laurel has been very even keeled without huge changes in her emotions.  However, she is the most loyal, grateful, fun little girl who brings such joy to everyone she gives her heart to.  She also demands your whole heart if you are going to be in her life.  Laurel is definitely our most stubborn child who knows what she wants; at the same time, she is our sweet little girl who just melts to pieces if she experiences injustice or hurt caused to her or someone she loves.  Laurel is a tiny little girl who sometimes uses it to her advantage...."I'm too little to pick up my room".  She loves hugs and Barbies and swinging.  Her favorite foods are hamburgers and donuts and pepperoni.  She has excelled so much in her first year of preschool; her handwriting is quite amazing and she is doing great with her numbers.  Laurel does not have a need to be the center of attention (which is very difficult for me to understand) but her personality draws people to her.  We love you more than you can know, Laurel Ann!  Praise God that we get to be your parents!

 

1. What is your favorite color? purple
2. What is your favorite toy? Brownie (stuffed dog)

3. What is your favorite fruit? Apples
4. What is your favorite TV show? Angelina Ballerina

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Pepperoni and crackers
6. What is your favorite outfit? Blue Cinderella dress
7. What is your favorite game? Hungry Hungry Hippos
8. What is your favorite snack? Annies chocolate bunnies
9. What is your favorite animal? Puppies
10. What is your favorite song? Katy Perry’s “Roar”
11. What is your favorite book? Barbie in a Mermaid Tale
12. Who is your best friend? Grace
13. What is your favorite cereal? Fruit Loops
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Swing on the swing set
15. What is your favorite drink? Lemonade
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Angelina stuffed animal
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Donuts
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Hamburgers and Cheetos

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Helicopter girl

New Year

We celebrated the New Year as a family with small children, which meant a wild night of pizza, movies, popcorn, and being in bed before midnight!

 

The kids made party hats and noise makers.

They watched two movies on the air mattress while eating popcorn.

They celebrated the new year east coast time and we had our "apple drop" at 9pm.

 

 

On New Years Day, we went down to Corvallis for the first Christmas of 2014.

The kids were spoiled once again!

Movies

Gum.....quite possibly their favorite present

New shoes

Dusty from Planes

Levi and his cousin, Judah, both had Dusty toys.

Erika received a makeup designer kit.  Her cousin, Ashley, was kind enough to teach her some makeup tips!

Mostly, Erika was near her cousin, Ezra.  He is just the cutest little guy ever!  Erika had a great time reading books to him and making him smile.

 

We took some family pictures while we were there.  Although the adults also looked great, the kids were the stars of the photos!

7 Hammar cousins

 

Grandpa and Grandma and their grandkids!

 

The next day, the kids got to go on a shopping spree with the gift cards that Uncle Josh and Auntie Beth gave them for Christmas presents!

Successful!  And so much fun!