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It’s hard to believe that the last year came in a blink of an eye but there is such joy and sweetness that comes with each day that contrasts the bittersweet of passing time. I just want to remember it all, tuck it away in my heart and hold to each moment and never forget.
HIS BIRTHDAY
We kept B’s actual birthday low-key with just the four of us and Ryan came home from being in NJ so he didn’t miss B’s big day. Ryan never ceases to amaze me in his fierce love for our family and that we’re the priority. He was not going to miss B’s birthday and make it his top priority to make sure he was home on the actual day. Y’all I married a good one and I’m so glad our children will never have to question how much their daddy cherishes them.
We had a picnic at the park on Saturday and on Sunday we just kept things really laid back and it was perfect. We let A help pick out B’s birthday present the day before and on Sunday, his birthday, we build his little tykes truck during his nap, opened presents and enjoyed one another’s company before Ryan had to hop on a plane that night for his last stint of his trip. B loved his vintage looking play phone that his sister picked out for him and his new Little Tykes truck. He pretty much spent the rest of the day playing with those things, even though he did like his books and clothes that we got him too! 
HIS BIRTHDAY PARTY
We postponed B’s birthday party until the next weekend when Ryan was home for good so we had more time to plan a bit. Ryan’s parents made it down to see us, as did my mom/stepdad/sister and my grandparents. We also got a visit from Aunt Gwenna and our cousin which was a nice surprise. We kind of combined B’s birthday party as a makeshift Fourth of July party and did it as a cookout, accompanied by a smash-cake, Popsicles and ice cream.
Birthday prep was laid back and fun. We went with an “all aboard” theme which was a lot of fun and ironic because several of his items were trucks or vehicles. His smash-cake was simple – a cake iced green, a graham cracker dirt road, two hot wheels and a mini-twix/m&m stop light. Simple and cute. It did the job and he actually loved having the car and truck to dig into the cake with and big sister hijacked the stoplight during the cake fun.
We had veggies and hummus, and meat and cheese. We wanted snacks to be easy and laid back before we cooked hamburgers and served it with homemade and potato salad. We also enjoyed lemonade, iced tea, and craft beer.
Once everyone arrived, we spent some time chatting and spending time with everyone as we waited for the birthday boy to wake from his nap and then after a bit he dug into presents. He had such a great time opening his presents. Ryan’s gave him v-tech cars and a cool handmade board with switches and locks which he’s been loving playing with. My grandma has been dying to give him a Tonka truck and that’s what they got him this year and he’s actually loving that a lot. My mom got him a couple of cool toys like his froggy ball toy and a water/sand table.
After presents we spent time eating dinner and the birthday boy took another cat nap before he got to smash into his cake. We weren’t sure how much he would enjoy his cake because A wasn’t a fan of the mess at her party but once he realized he was digging into food, he was a major fan. We got so many cute videos and photos. We have one video where he gives Ryan a handful of cake and another one of him giving B a huge kiss. So cute.
After the cake fun, it was time for the birthday boy to take a quick bath and get cleaned up and everyone else enjoyed ice cream cones, ice cream sandwiches and homemade popsicles. It was the perfect dessert for a July summer night. We then headed outside to watch the town’s fireworks and enjoyed some of our own. We had a really good night and I’m so glad that we got to celebrate our sweet boy!
