It has been ONE entire year since we met Ashlynn and Kaylee Ashy and we were so excited to go to their 1st birthday party! I knew that it would be a very short trip (Friday night until Sunday afternoon) since we would be leaving for Colorado in one week, but it was completely worth it to me to make the trip down to be a part of this milestone with Mary and Mark.
On Friday May 3, 2011, we checked our flight status with Southwest for our departure time at 7:20pm. Delayed. Okay, no big deal. We'll hang out with Bailey and her parents until it's time to go to the airport. The Melzer's were also on our flight going and coming from Orlando as they were spending a short weekend at Disney. Checked again that afternoon. Delayed until 9:00pm. Huh. Maybe we should get take out from Captain Anderson's and enjoy a good dinner while the girls played. Checked again at 8. Delayed until 10:30pm. This went on and on until finally we two families decided that we should just leave on the 1st flight out in the morning and arrive at 9:20am rather than 2am. So, we went with that plan and drove back to our house to get in bed only to wake up and start back over the next morning. We later found out that our plane could not leave Dallas because of the big snow storm the came through the weekend of the Super Bowl.
Ashlynn and Kaylee's party theme was Winnie the Pooh (a personal attachment and fond memory from Mary's teenage years with her oldest niece) and location was The Hundred Acre Wood (the park and clubhouse across the street from their house).
Lauren had a FUN time at the party! It had rained/drizzled earlier in the day but the weather otherwise was perfect. Not too cold and not too hot.
Lauren swinging with Katherine Hayes (1 mo older than LEB)
I'm not sure if you can tell in this picture, but Lauren has a sad face on. She was just kinda staring off in space and I asked her "what's wrong?" She patted her back and pointed to the twins who were swinging next to her (they were born on the same day at the same hospital as A&K and live in the same subdivision! Crazy, huh!?). I asked her if she wanted somebody to swing behind her and she nodded her head. I felt my heart break right in two. My baby was lonely! What if she's lonely often and I don't realize it?! I felt so bad for her...so naturally, the mommy went off in search of another baby to put at Lauren's back.
I found Ashlynn available for a swing date and put her at LEB"s back. :-) All smiles on Lauren's face then.
Kaylee then came over and we let the two sisters swing together.
Part of the party activities included Gymboree time! A&K's Gymboree teacher came and sang songs, got out the big parachute, and told a story with a puppet. Lauren loved every minute of it!
The kids also made made a banner for the birthday girls. We made an outline of LEB's hand and let her color a little bit with markers.
The beautiful cake!
Ashlynn and Kaylee wearing the Pooh outfit that Mary bought for Kayla before she was born (15 years ago).
Cake time! Kaylee dug into her's and got really messy! While Ashlynn took small little pinches and hardly made a mess at all. These girls are very much their own self, it's amazing!
Lauren loves playing with all of Mary's nieces. Here she is with Kourtney.
"Oh girls. Our mommies want a group picture."
"Okay. Let's work with them since these pictures seem to be sooo important to them!"
"But wait! Kaylee, you need to paint your toe nails!"
"REALLY! Let's do something about this!"
"Oh man. I think I'm done."
"Well, Lauren" says Kaylee "if you're done, I'm done."
