A Butterfly Birthday Party

Hadassah had her second birthday two weeks ago,

and was it ever a fun celebration!!

She woke up from a nap to a wonderful birthday surprise; her first-ever horsie ride with Aunt Kyra!

Can you see how thrilled she is?!

I may be biased, but I think she has the coolest aunties & uncles ever!

Let's not forget the grandpas & grandmas too!!

Is this not a dream come true for most little girls?

I almost wish I could be two again...almost!

I was glad to see that we got a family photo and everyone in it looks reasonably happy.

Score!!

I decided to go with a butterfly theme, since she's been fascinated with them this summer.

To add interest, I cut out butterfly shapes from red & turquoise cardstock and glued them to fishing line,

which I hung from the chandelier I upcycled from her 1st birthday party!

Red grape kabobs were a win/win, since they are a favorite of the little lady and gave a pop of color!

We added blue kool-aid to lemonade, and it turned into a lovely shade of turquoise!! 

My sweet sister made some delicious strawberry cupcakes for us when Nicholas was born, and I knew they would be perfect for a birthday party. 

I made a buttercream icing {my favorite!} and then broke yogurt-covered pretzels in half to make the butterfly wings, with red licorice as antenna. How cute are they?!

An old red chair {that is still waiting to be recovered!} served as the perfect spot for the gifts.

And I painted a sign thanking the guests for "fluttering by"!

Hadassah had a blast opening up presents and enjoying them with her little friends!

There were plenty of hugs to go around!!

 They all had fun playing with her new kitchen!

And Grandpa got her the fun headband :)

She's two...going on 16! At least, that's what she's been saying she is.

And when she was asked what she wanted for her birthday, her response was "a car!!"

Now, she says she's "three bunny ears!"

We're slowly getting closer to the actual age;

hopefully she'll get it figured out by the time she turns 3!

She's turned our worlds upside-down

and given us so much to laugh about!

We love you, Hadassah Jo...

Happy birthday!!!

Milestones.

I had a birthday last week, a milestone, if you will:

I reached the big 3-0!!!

It's funny, really, because just a few years ago I looked at the thirty-year-olds with a sense of pity,

feeling sorry for them and how old they were!

I guess I didn't realize how quickly that would be me.

 But now that I'm here,

I can't say it's all that bad!

Being 30 is a reason to celebrate, right?! 

My husband treated me to a night out at the local Chop & Grill House.

It was exquisite,

in every sense of the word! [including the bill!!]

But I enjoyed being spoiled,

since I'll only be 30 once!

The girls took me to Charlottesville,

for a wonderful girls' night out!

The best part was just getting a evening away without the distraction of little ones.

I felt as carefree as a teenager!

But in the last few weeks, I've also done a lot of reflecting,

about where I've been...and where I'm headed.

The 20's were a whirlwind, full of adventure and change!

I traveled to 6 different countries,

fell in love and got married,

moved to a different state,

and had 2 beautiful babies!

 // Looking Back //

I've experienced so many new things,

from learning how to cook meals for a harvest crew 

to figuring out how to keep two babies happy in a shopping cart!

I've changed.

I've grown.

And I'm living the life I dreamed of; the wife of a man that loves me

and a mother to my sweet kiddos!

I'm so blessed.

It was so good to be reminded of that,

because the reality is that "living the dream" looks different in real life!

Seriously.

I pictured a blissful marriage, perfect kids and an all-around "happily-ever-after"!!

Then life happened :)

And I'm learning that it doesn't need to be perfect

to be a dream come true.

// Looking Forward //

I want to be more intentional in my relationships

and show those I love how much they mean to me!

I want to invest the best of myself 

into my husband and my children.

They are the most precious gift I've been given.

I want to slow down,

and savor each moment,

remembering that the future is now!

Because, before I know it,

the 30's will be what the 20's are...

a sweet memory.