It's a Parrrrrrrrty! Sammy Turned 3!

My handsome little pirate invited all his friends and family to a party in the gym of my school.  It was a blast, from set up to take down and turned out to be a huge hit.  Prepare yourself... there are a lot of photos!

(I took some of the shots myself, but I need to give some photo credit to my Auntie Bobbi, Kaysi and Lindsay F.  Thanks ladies!)

Pirate grub!  Everything from rainbow fishies to a pirate ship fruit bowl to enough hot dogs to choke a shark!

Uncle Blair doing last minute cupcake decorating... thanks sooooo much! 

Pirate garb!

One of the brilliantly pirate-ish decorations Yanna did for us.  LOVE IT!

Loot bags

Kicked off the party with some pirate colouring sheets.  Super easy way to ease the kids into being together.  They loved them and I printed them off the internet... easy!

Birthday boy with one of the million balloons we blew up... soooo many popped but we just started calling it cannon ball fire and no one cried anymore!

Having a little snack while watching our guests arrive.  I counted 15 kids and about 30 adults... what a loved little boy!

Payton walking the plank.

Sammy peeking over Payton in the ship wreck!

This shot looks way more dangerous than it actually was... Lincoln taking the fun to a new level!

Sam walked the plank and hopped fearlessly into the ocean!

Another quick bite.

Kaysi made the cutest birthday shirt for Sammy... we did a costume change and he was soooo excited for his new outfit!

Kids dipping into the pirate costumes... soooo funny!
Captain Lincoln

Silly Sammy

Kiley and her mustache

Pirate Peyton!

Avery looking very sophisticated.

Logan hiding behind her giant mustache.

ARRRRRRRRRR!

<3 

Pirate garb table... BIG HIT!

Even baby Serry, Auntie and (great) Granny got in on the fun!

Auntie Bobbi brought this great parrot... the perfect addition to a pirate party.  It looked very real, moved, winked and talked.  It even munched on Colten's finger!!!  (Love Caedon's face in the background!)

The Gorday girls checking out our parrot friend.

Pretty P(irate)

Happy little lass!

Photo booth (bought at the dollar store and it made for many funny moments, especially when kids fell over trying to poke their head in the hole... hahaha)

Mac loving the millions of balloons!

Sammy trying to buy Peyton's attention

Pin the Patch on the Pirate.

How cute is the back of Sam's birthday shirt... perfect!

The kids were soooo good.  They all took turns and watched each other.  Love these kids.

Sam and his lovely ladies... what a lucky boy to be surrounded by beautiful girls all day every day!

Hilarious and very awkward moment... ask me about it some time!

Next stop... pinata time!  We couldn't find anything pirate like for a pinata and we left it too late to make one.  So, the next best thing was a Nemo one.  We filled it with fruit snacks, BEAUTIFUL necklaces and gold coins.  It was soooo heavy!

A very captive audience waits patiently for their turn and for someone to break it!

Baby S (and Auntie) take a hilarious turn.  Tons of fun!

Sam up again.

Logan using all her muscles

Then, the moment everyone was waiting for, Lincoln steps up to bat.  He swings so hard it breaks off the string and lands on the floor.  With only 2 seconds of hesitation, he begins to beat a hole in it while it's laying on the ground.  Soooo funny.  Afterwards my Gramma told me "I had my money on that one!"  

Shaking the pirate booty (not mine!  The goodies inside!)

Quickly the kids gathered as much as they could hold.

Everyone found tons of things the liked!

Sam scored jewels and some snacks... perfect!

What little boy couldn't resist a beautiful girl with a chocolate coin kiss!

He's not at all excited about this situation!

All the kiddies waiting and waiting for cake.

Big blow!

Avery enjoyed her cupcake.  Nothing compliments the chef more than a little face just like that one!

Present opening time... probably the most intense part of the whole day for me.  I really did feel like these little pirates had invade my ship and were going to loot me.  Fortunately they were just trying to be sooo helpful for the world's slowest gift opener.  I'm thinking next year we won't open presents in front of our guests... is that ok to do or is it politically incorrect/

A hug for Yanna... our very special friend who not only helped decorate but helped us party too!

A very played out pirate heads home with all his new treasures.  He felt so special and so loved and unbelievably happy.  We truly have some of the most incredible people that have shared in Sam's life with us.  We love each one of you and are so grateful that you could come be with us on this day.  How in the world did my tiny little baby turn into a three year old.  Happy birthday my Sammy.

In 2012...

Last year was a big year for me... or was it?  I did do the photos for two weddings, but they turned out great and I learned a lot about my strengths and weaknesses in photography.  I did return to work full time, but that has turned out pretty good and I'm loving my job.  I did put Sam into the care of someone else, but that turned out to be one of the very best decisions I've ever made in my life.  I did help motivate a school to raise nearly $6000 for Cancer research resulting in a shaved head, but it's "shaved" 12 years of my life (as my Aunt said I looked like I did in high school again) and I can go from bed to shower to car within 20 minutes!  I did co-coach a jr high boys volleyball team to a first place victory, but I don't think that bring me to the next level of awesome (or maybe it does!)  2011 was alright... like a start to something great and this is where 2012 comes in.


I've just got a feeling that this year is going to be frickin' amazing.  I don't know what it is.  Perhaps I'm in a better head space coming into this year.  Happier in my job, my family, my health and my home.  I've been able to let go of the things that got to me and realized how much happier I am without worrying about stuff that will never change.  I've made it my mission to seek out things on a daily basis that make me happy... funny and supportive women at work with their never ending student stories and encouragement, students who make me laugh and want to spend time with me, basketball.  I haven't shot this many hoops since... oh my... maybe 2000.  I'm in love with the sport again, even if it is just taking shots amongst a random 100 students with variety of skill and motivation to be in the gym.  I don't think I could run the court for more than a few minutes.  Last year that would have been a very frustrating fact... this year, I'm ok with shooting hoops.  I also tried rollerskating.  It's soooo much fun.  I was entirely happy with those four ancient wheels on my feet.  I was fairly shaky, rated somewhere between nightmare on wheels and nearly stable, I even burned a hole in my favourite pants after a slow motion splat.  But it was awesome.  Not just rollerskating, but trying something I've never tried before and realizing that I LOVED it.  2012 will be the year of trying something new.  New activity, new food, new attitude, new outfit, lots of new!  Another great thing that I've realized as I head into 2012 is that I have an amazing family.  I have always been very proud of the husband I have - he supports me, laughs with me, lets me cry, cooks and cleans, fixes crap... he's great.  But in 2011 he brought his game to a new level and I appreciated all the time he spent supporting me.  I could get into it more, but instead I'll just leave it and say he's the best.  You should be jealous.  And Sam.  Come on.  He could possibly be the funniest little boy in the world.  Boy of a million faces, dance moves, songs, jokes, smiles, snuggles.  He is becoming more and more handsome, independent and brilliant.  He is nearly three... how on earth did that happen!?!?!?  Once again, I have the best.


Or perhaps I've decided that this year is going to be amazing because of the looming fear that the world is going to end in just over 11 months.  I'm not a believer, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't think to myself a couple times "But what if".  So, as much BS as it seems to be, what's wrong with living this year like its our last?  Just deciding to be happy and that what we have is good enough, and if it's not then doing something about it.  Maybe it's some big scheme to get people to be a little more grateful, love their families a little more, hold their babies closer, appreciate their jobs or friends or free time.  


Regardless of whether its an improved attitude on my part or that we're coming closer to our expiration date, 2012 is going to be fab.  I can just tell.

Happy New Year!

We celebrated the end of 2011 with our very good friends, the Gordays.  Bill cooked an amazing meal, Lindsay was the hostess with the mostest and Logan entertained Sam for hours.  It was the most wonderful way I could think of to say good bye to this year.  

Playing with playdoh before supper.

Having a super fun tubby together... up to all sorts of funny moments splashing in the bubbles.

They thought the bubbles on their heads were the best ever!  Too cute.

Goofy boy!

A boys only game of Hungry Hungry Hippos!

Noise maker time!!!  The good times that these dollar store noise makers brought were worth every penny.  The kids went CRAZY!  They partied for nearly 45 minutes - cranking the noise maker, blowing the blowers, running, "Happy New Year"ing, dancing... PARTY!

We did our count down at 9:30... sweet little New Year's kiss!

Thanks for the fun Gorday family.  We la la love you!  Happy New Year!

Boys and Their Toys!

A perfect gift for my little and big boy!