Cheyenne's 5th Birthday Party!

As befits an extremely grown up five-year old, my daughter was very composed during her birthday party. Or maybe it was just that the crown that came in Auntie Lisa's card imparted a regal elegance. Either way, she was Miss Important. The plan had been a party Friday night with some of the folks from our meeting, Grandma and Grandpa White, and Bethaney, Olivia, Tori, Orianna and Lillian. Between bad weather and nasty winter sicknesses, that party had to be canceled, and Cheyenne ended up with a grand total of seven people at her party tonight-- Grandma, Grandpa, Daddy, Mummy, Cheyenne, Elliott and Marilla! Not that most exciting bash, but it was fun. It's been fun for her the whole last three days...


Starting with Auntie and Eun Hui stopping by for a quick story on their way north for special meeting rounds! Auntie read books to the older two...

while Rilla charmed all with her smile. And her bitable cheeks. Grandma and Grandpa left their house still without power and braved the yucky roads to get here by Saturday night.

Saturday was helping outside...

and making snow angels!

Grandma Marilyn brought a gingerbread house kit. First they had to put it together with frosting, then WAIT several hours (by far the hardest part of the project!)

Then, starting to decorate.

Elliott maybe wasn't quite as helpful as he could have been...




Especially once he discovered the frosting was edible!


Frosting cheeks.

"Hi, Mom."

"I'll smile for the camera."

"Then I get silly for the camera!"

Despite the "help", it looked pretty good in the end!

"Help" was sort of the theme of the weekend.

Rilla helped Grandpa eat his icecream...

"I like this stuff!"

"I'm getting spoiled!"

Little pucker for the cold.

And another bite! Grandpa didn't get much of the bowl in the end!

Elliott helps Evan wrap Cheyenne's present.

And gets to touch the forbidden tape.

Cheyenne helped make her birthday cake this afternoon.

She's a girl after my own heart. When I asked her this week what kind of birthday cake she wanted, she answered, "Vinegar cake!" like "Duh, Mom, is there any other kind of cake?" My sentiments precisely!

Quite the adorable little chef with the bun in her hair and her apron on!

We had our special meeting today at 3:00 in the afternoon. It sure felt strange not to go anywhere Sunday morning. I had time to make a nice ham dinner, though! Daddy got to snuggle his girls.

And Rilla got to make funny faces.

We let Cheyenne open her Bible before meeting. She looks so grown-up, composedly ripping open the package!

Then after supper tonight, she had a choice: cake or presents first?

Presents won.

Some Polly Pockets from Grandma and Grandpa.

And an outfit Grandma made her-- plus a matching outfit for her Cabbage Patch kid, Danielle Bethaney!

Mommy and Daddy's present was an art set.

Lots of markers!

The middle pops up like an easel.

Finally, the cake, and the happy birthday song.


Elliott helped blow out the candles-- Evan kept relighting them and they'd blow them out again!

Marilla sang along-- she adores music, bounces around and makes noises the minute anyone starts singing!

Grandma helps Cheyenne play with her new set.

Elliott, who has been direly threatened about ever touching Cheyenne's art set, got the consolation prize of playing with scissors. Ever since the Cutting the Shirt and Pants Incident, he doesn't get to use scissors much. (Don't you like his outfit? Evan didn't think his adorable little suit would do well with chocolate cake, so he got stripped down!)

Grandma helping unpack the Polly Pockets!

This picture has nothing to do with Cheyenne's birthday, but when I was downloading Dana and Marilyn's pictures of this weekend, I found this picture of the Evil Twins from Thanksgiving. They really don't look like the Evil Twins anymore-- they must be growing up! I love Orianna's crossed legs...

Tomorrow is Cheyenne's real birthday, and her Special Day at school. Daddy took her to Wal-Mart to buy cupcakes, since it is her turn to bring in snacks. They have to bring in storebought snacks, so my big Anti-Shopping Creed had to be set aside. She had seen pictures today of the beautiful roses on Mr. and Mrs. George Chappell's (!!!) wedding cake, and she insisted she had to have roses on her's. We compromised with some decorative hearts (that I need to go plop on top of the cupcakes before I head to bed here).

One of the weirdest things about Cheyenne turning five tomorrow is that means I will have been a mother now for five years! Hard to believe, although I can't remember life without my kids. It was a wonderful event that brought Miss Cheyenne in our lives!