Wordless Wednesday {Eight is Enough}

{Okay, Alex...really...this is your last birthday!  Eight is Enough!}

{ps...the Wii Fit is for Mommy too...I'm going to need it after consuming those cupcakes!}

Life's Not Fair!

Today is Alex's 8th birthday!  Happy, happy Birthday!  It doesn't seem possible! 

This is the little Alex I remember just yesterday...

...sigh... it's not fair that they have to grow up so fast!  I miss that chubby little preschool face!  But I love this special day and we're so proud of all that he's accomplished and learned and he is the sweetest {most of the time!} eight-year-old I know!

We celebrated his birthday with family on Saturday...and yesterday evening continued the celebration by going to the Fair! 

We had to stop and see the animals first and make sure to visit Emily's kindergarten teacher.  Her daughter shows sheep and Emily did  not want to miss her!  She has been talking about it all year once she found out she would be at the fair!

She was even more excited to see her friend Carly there too!

Next stop...snow cones and drinks...it was hot!

Then the rides, of course!  When Emily wanted to ride the Octopus...my heart started beating a little bit faster!  I tried to talk her out of it...or at least talk Alex into riding with her, but he's a little more scared cautious like his momma!

I could barely see the top of her head...I thought for sure she was going to fall right out!

Thank goodness her friend caught up to us and was able to ride it with her afterall!  I felt a little more relieved!

They loved it!  My heart started to beat normally again once they reached the ground...until they wanted to ride it again!

Alex and Emily also had lots of fun riding the big slide...

{Emily barely made the height requirement...thank goodness the lady let her ride...I love her reaction!}

...climbing on this...

...winning a couple of prizes...

{Score!}

...and deciding where to use their last tickets...

Emily chose another ride that made me panic inside...while Alex opted out again!  I'm so glad there was an older girl riding with her...because once again I was picturing her flying out of her seat!  I remember riding this as a kid and having so much fun...it goes so fast forward, then it goes backward! 

Alex passed this up the first time but decided to try it after all...

...and he said it was awesome! 

Poor Emily wanted to ride it in the worst way...but she was just not tall enough...and she didn't have any tickets left either.  This is how she felt about that...

I felt so bad for her...it totally wasn't fair that she had to stand there and watch Alex having the time of his life...maybe next year she'll grow those few extra inches.

But they had a great time and I loved watching them having so much fun!  I can't believe I ever rode those rides without a care in the world!  I have a little more anxiety now when I see them flying around in circles at top speeds! 

The sunset was beautiful as we were leaving...

...but I definitely didn't leave without a delicious, greasy, sugary funnel cake!  Yum!   It was a fun night and Alex and Emily look forward to it every year as a way of celebrating Alex's birthday!  ...sigh... Another year down...

Reason to Celebr{EIGHT}

Tomorrow is this little baby's big boy's 8th birthday!  Seriously...the time flies!  Dan informed me that Alex is half way to driving!  Thanks for making it sound better!  {wah!} 

I guess since he insists on getting older and having more birthdays...we'll celebrate this special day!  

First thing on the list is making the cake...which Alex and Emily always help with...

 

...especially the cleaning up...

The cake...

...didn't look too bad...but what a disaster we had trying to decorate it!  I had some black icing for the eight ball...so I made it and was just about done with it, until Emily tasted some of the icing and said, "This tastes weird."  Eww...she was right!  What was the expiration date on that stuff?!  It didn't have a date on it...that should've given me a clue!  So I scraped all the black icing off...tried to smooth it over and start again...using chocolate brownie topping this time!  Whew...got that fixed!  Now we needed to put Happy Birthday on it...but with what?  Alex and I had to make a trip to the grocery store that night to get more  icicng!  Once we got back I started making the letters and by the time I got to the first P in Happy, my finger was already tired from pressing on the decorator tip...and the icing came out in a big blob!  Aaah!  {More scraping!}  Finally...we made it all work and covered up the cake until morning...started cleaning things up...and dropped a cookbook on top of the cake!  Gasp!  {more scraping and fixing...Good grief!  ...sigh...}  Anyway...Alex was the sweetest thing ever during this whole ordeal and repeatedly told me it was the best cake I've ever made and that I was going to work in a bakery some day!  I love him...he sure knows how to make a momma feel good!

Saturday...we were all set {I think}, and had the whole family over to help Alex party!

{Grandma and baby Andrew}

{Unlce Bill, Dan, and Grandpa}

{Great-grandma Martha}

{Aunt Betty and Andrew}

We enjoyed lots of yummy food with some help from Grill Master Dan...

...and enjoyed lots and lots of swimming!  I was so thankful for such a perfectly beautiful day!

{Laurie and Charlie}

{my nephew Hunter}

{Emily and cousin Emma}

They had so much fun for the longest time on this pink ring!

{Aunt Betty, Andrew, and Kendall}

{Janet and Cameron}

{My sister Nicole and nephew Hunter}

{This one cracks me up...I wonder what was so interesting and funny!}

{Kendall and Sam}

Now...who's ready for cake?

{Andrew is!}

It was so funny...Charlie was on one side of Alex...and snuck up and blew the candles out before Alex even had a chance!  Then before we knew it...Cameron was on the other side and blew out all the rest but one!  Ha!  Alex did not think it was funny!

...so we had to light them all again!

Then we lit three more again...so Hunter could make his wish...his birthday is next weekend!

{Is anyone still there?  So many photos!}

Alex had such an awesome day...and he got some fun presents!

Water balloons...

...a remote control car...

...a new slip 'n slide...

...an ipod Touch from Grandma and Grandpa...

{discussing apps with Aunt Marcia}

...and gifts cards & money just waiting to be spent!

...oh...and a bouncy castle from mommy and daddy!

What a fun celebr{eight}ion for the whole family!  We are so thankful and so blessed!

I just can't get over how quickly these years pass by and how much they grow and learn and change...and although it makes me a little teary-eyed...I love all the excitement and wonder of each new year!  {and it probably felt like a year to get through this post!}  I love all the fun of decorating and preparing for birthday parties and having everyone get together...and it ends too soon...

...until next year...