McKenna's Birthday Party

What a wonderful day! This year we decided to have Kenna's party at Union park in Des Moines. I stumbled across this park on one of my training bike rides. It's about 10 miles south of our house and has an old fashioned wooden carousel. The kids LOVED it! Everyone made it, except one family, and the weather could not have been better!

I used the party as an excuse to try a few kid recipes out! The first was rice crispy cones. I made oreo rice crispy treats, then formed them into ice cream scoop shapes. While they were hardening in the freezer, I put candy inside the cone. After they set, I dipped them in Wilton's candy melts (colored chocolate) and decorated them to look like ice cream. I used a little more of the candy to seal the Reese's pieces inside the cone. These were the favors for the kids.

--aren't they cute! Soooo much sugar!--

--brownie pops. Brownies dipped in chocolate on a stick...also way yummy--

McKenna was SOOO excited helping us set up. Luckily Gona and Baca watched the kids the night before so I could put the final touches on everything. We arrived around 10:30 and the first thing McKenna does is fall and really scrape up both her knees. It was really bad. Luckily she calmed down when her guests started to arrive, and with a little first aid from Gona. I also had her convinced the carousel was magic and that it would heal her "owies."

Everyone started arriving around 11. We rode the carousel a little, then had burgers, hot dogs, chips, fruit and sugary snacks!

--Nolan and Shelly enjoying some lunch--

--Zacky loves strawberries!--

--Kenna has dorito hands--

--here is half of the guests--

--and the other half--

--blowing out her candles, ignore Zacky's scared expression--

In total we had around 4o people there: Gona and Baca, Us (4), Millers (4), Gentrys (3), Stones (4), Gantis (4), Andersens (2), Rouches (5), Volmers (5), Dietz (4) and Eski and Adam. We are so very fortunate to have so many wonderful friends!!!

--Baca and Zachary--

--Auntie Em, Kade and Kenna, playing on the slide--

--Sam and Kenna on the carousel....do they look like they are on a date?--

--kade riding the carousel--

--not sure if Avi or Sashank is having more fun?--

--Zacky taking it all in!--

--sam and Kenna again--

I was thinking I got more pictures of all of the kids..but I was trying to place hostess all the time!

We asked that people not bring gifts because really McKenna has everything she needs. She got a few things from us; life jacket, clothes, coloring book, fun beads from Auntie Em, clothes and a game from Gona and Baca and Zacky got her an ambulance.

That is a funny story. When Kenna was choosing Zacky's gift for his birthday, she stumbled upon this working ambulance toy at the Learning Post (my favorite kids toy store.) She said that he would reallllly like it (meaning she would really like it.) I told her it said 4+ on it, and that it was too big for him. She said, "mommy, I am going to be 4, maybe I can get it for my burfday?" And she has been talking about it every day since March. So - Zacky had to get it for her ;)

Happy birthday munchkin!

Glad you had a fun day - even with the owies!