Wrapping up 2013 in 2014 Pt. 1: My 6-Year-Old Brown-Eyed Gal

Hooray, I'm blogging again! The kids are back in school and it's time to get serious about catching up. I took my Christmas vacation very seriously this year, which meant I didn't do anything that I didn't absolutely have to do. Unfortunately, at the rate I'm going, that means I'll be posting about Christmas until Valentine's Day or so.

One thing I simply must share is the birthday of my beautiful little Celeste, who turned six years old in December. I have been so proud of her all year as she has reached one milestone after another; riding a bike; reading; math; kindergarten; bearing her testimony in church all by herself; and more! She is always impressing me with her great memory, her thoughtfulness, her sensitivity, and her unfailing good cheer. Many days, she is still a crazy little girl; but more and more, she surprises me with her maturity and and wisdom.

But who needs maturity when you're having a birthday party? That's a time to be a crazy little girl again! Since Celeste turned six, family tradition dictates that she have a birthday party to celebrate the occasion. When I asked her what she wanted the theme to be, she responded, "Horses!"

I thought that was a bit vague and intimidating; I wasn't sure at first what aspect of horses she wanted on display (Aurora, after all, had had a My Little Pony-themed party at the beginning of the year). Also, I knew that real horses and pony rides were nowhere in the budget for this party! However, I was able to improvise a few things, and I think Celeste and her friends were satisfied with the results.

Some of the party favors were vaguely "horsey": hunting horns, blue ribbons, and cute little mini show trophies! Then there were the animal-themed puzzle games inside each bag as well. Beyond that were the usual knick-knacks (pencils, candy, etc.), but luckily the kids didn't seem to mind that they weren't equestrian in nature.

I tried like crazy to find a "pin the tail on the horsey" game, but had to settle for a more standard "donkey" version. Oh well...donkeys are cousins of horses, aren't they?

We fed all the kids lunch: they ate Frito "haystacks" (piles of Fritos topped with chili, shredded cheese & lettuce, and other assorted toppings), as well as carrots and apples...treats beloved by horses everywhere!

Some of the outdoor games we played included horseshoes, lasso twirling, and hobby horse obstacle courses.

As it turns out, most of the kids didn't care too much about the "horse" theme one way or another...they were just happy to play together and have fun! This was especially true when the pinata was brought out (it was kindly donated to our party by a friend whose daughter attended):

The terrifying aftermath

Here's Celeste's cake:

Green icing for grass, pink "flowers" for the horses to eat, and chocolate flavored-cake for the "dirt." Okay, it won't win any decorating awards, but it was still yummy!

After that, it was time for presents:

ALL the girls got excited by this present...giant coloring pages!

No sooner had her friends gone home and the dust settled, that our family bundled ourselves up and headed out to get our Christmas tree! It was December 7, after all, and it was time to get the remainder of our holiday decorations up!

 

After getting the tree put together, Celeste and her daddy headed out for their daddy-daughter birthday dinner. Celeste's choice this year was Brushfire BBQ, a local joint that Nathan had been to before and loved. Okay, Nathan may have had some say in where they ate, but Celeste is just as big of a barbecue fanatic as her father. They ate a lot of greasy delicious food, taking the lives of many napkins in the process.

We had to wait a few more days for Celeste's actual birthday to arrive, so we could give her the family presents:

As per our tradition, her presents are the first ones placed under our Christmas tree each year!

 

Once she'd tried on her new dress, she looked like a beautiful doll. Seeing her happy smile always brightens my day, and her smile sure shone brightly on her birthday! Happy Birthday, you sweet gal. I am more in love with you than you can yet imagine, and prouder of you than you know.