Party Hardy

Elsa's final party of the year, held on Labor Day, was a doozy. She was looking forward to it all weekend long, and when the big day finally came, it didn't disappoint. We had a total of 15 guests, who came for dinner, cake, and a chaotic round of gift-opening.

Here's Elsa enjoying her birthday dinner. (One of the plates belonged to Karina.)

Hanging out with Lisa:

Elsa got an ice cream cake this time:

And since she had so much practice last weekend, this time she blew out the candles on the first try! I love that she looks so surprised about it.

Enjoying the cake:

And then of course, there were the presents. Opa and Grandma H. got her a red wagon just like Carter's and Karina's. She's always loved those wagons, and actually attempted to get into a stranger's wagon at the zoo once. She's thrilled to have her own now!

Elsa also got a playdoh set from Jim and Joy Mattern; dresses, books, and a Tigger doll from Beth; a giant, ridable stuffed pony from Uncle Bob; a bowling set with jumbo pins from Quentin and Lisa; a cute outfit from Sharon; and a beautiful framed cross-stitched alphabet, handmade by Heather. Elsa also got not one but two mini basketball hoops—one from Katie and Nate and one from Tom, Tanya, and Karina. The fact that they both had the exact same idea is a testament to how much Bob loved his toy basketball hoop when he was a kid. Actually "kid" is a term that should be used loosely, since he still had one of those in the living room of his apartment when I met him. : )

Katie's dog J.J. got into the spirit of the party during the present-opening frenzy:

After the presents, the girls officially went crazy with the bowling pins and some of the other gifts:

Both girls got adorable frilly tutus from Opa and Grandma, so we were also treated to a hilarious dancing display after most of the other guests had left.

Sugar high, anyone?
At least one guest thought Elsa's birthday party was pretty darn awesome—on the way home, Karina apparently told Tanya, "Mommy, Karina loved Elsa's party. SOOOOOO fun!" Thank you to everybody for coming on Monday, and for all of Elsa's wonderful gifts. Elsa is such a lucky girl to have so many people who love her and enjoy spending time with her.