Day 8 - Birthday

Last night we took a picture of Anna, the last one as a four-year-old.



The girls have been talking about how you get bigger on your birhtday. So last night we marked on the wall how tall she was. She thought it was funny that she was the same height today when we measured again.

In the morning Anna had a bagel for breakfast, with a candle in it.



Then Dave and I went with Mom & Dad and Tiana & Nate (my sister and brother-in-law) to do sealings at the temple for some family names that my dad had. It was neat to be in the temple with my family doing work for my family. What made it even more special on this special day is the fact that in all the rotations we did I got to be sealed as a daughter for someone named Anna. Then later in the session I also got to act for that same Anna as she was sealed to her husband.

I am grateful for temples! And for families! (Wow! That sure seems to be a theme for the trip.) I am especially grateful for Anna today. For the joy and wonder and happiness she has brought into my life.

For the last month at least the girls have been making invitations and other things for Anna’s birthday party. They decided several times different things that we would do for the party. So after much deliberation Anna has stuck with the decision to have a carnival for her birthday.

She was so excited to go to the store with me to get balloons (which she didn’t want filled with helium because then they would be, “too easy to float away if I let go of them.”), party hats and other supplies.

Everyone helped to get ready for the party.

Grandma helped the girls cook the cake.







Anna and Allie helped me make a bean bag toss.



Tiana and Nate made the bubble solution just right. Then they made the fishing poles to catch the sharks I made.



Anna drew a "pongo dog" and cut out spots to make a pin the spot on the dog game. Allie helped cut out lots of spots.



And Grandpa put together a great obstacle course.

My mom and Tiana even dressed up like clowns.





When everyone arrived Grandma Mahoney (my grandma) gave out tickets so all the kids could play the different games.



Fishing for Sharks



Bean Bag Toss



Bowling



Popcorn





Put the Spot on the Dog



(Some people got closer to the dog than others.)




Giant Bubbles





And an Obstacle Course





Just as we were finishing up the games so we could eat it started to rain a little. It was perfect timing to move the rest of the party inside.

We had a yummy BBQ



with rainbow salad (a fruit of each color of the rainbow) as requested by Anna.



Then she opened presents.



When people asked her what she wanted for her birthday she would tell them that she wanted a backpack.



She thought her backpack was cool!


Then we ate cake and ice cream. Too bad that most of the people had left by then. (More cake for us!)



What a fun party!
(click here for more birthday pictures)


Later that night we even had fireworks!







Even though we were careful to pick out ones that weren’t noisy they were still a little to loud for some of the crowd.





But we all enjoyed the sparklers!