A two-year-old

We had much to celebrate last weekend. 

Our sweet boy turned 2! 

Cat in the Hat party! I would highly recommend this theme...easy colors to work with and tons of DIY decorations you can do (or you can recruit your friends) :)

 At Max's birthday party last year I was battling morning sickness and we procrastinated everything until the last minute, literally. There were workers out in the yard finishing up our fence as guests started to arrive...oops!  While last years party was still fun I felt like I didn't get to really enjoy it, so the plan this year was to be organized and prepared.... to be guests at our own party.

Things were looking good on Wednesday. We had a trial run of making cupcakes. My friend Nicole spent an entire day helping me make party hats. I had a time table made for when various tasks were happening. 

We were doing so well... 

Until Friday night when Eli decided he didn't want to sleep through the night anymore. Oh and by the way he didn't want to be put down either. Productivity came to a screeching halt, although I tried to carry on with one free hand. 

To make matters worse we slept through our alarm on Saturday morning, and by our alarm I mean Max yelling "Mommy, Daddy" from the room next door. This kid has never slept-in a day in his life, but of course the day we were relying on him he just kept snoozing. 

So we ordered some pizzas instead of making them. 

The back-up cupcakes my Mom was bringing became our only cupcakes. 

When my friend Nicole showed up to help decorate I was still running around in my pajamas.
 

In true Nicole fashion she found my to-do list and started making strawberry + marshmallow kabobs just like it said to do at 1pm. There was a moment where it looked like streamers weren't going to happen in time. I made a really sad face, and the husbands banded together and started taping paper to the ceiling. 

I love my friends.

So much for organized and prepared...but I do believe it was a splendid party anyway! 

I had a dream...a dream where all of the kids were sitting on the couch, wearing party hats, and smiling brightly. This picture is about as close as we got :)

Our dear friends came to celebrate, and celebrate we did.

Max ran around like a mad man, ecstatic that almost all of his buddies were in the same place at the same time. He couldn't believe that there was popcorn, apples, and strawberries ripe for the taking.

Papa Murphey's made better pizza than we would have put together, and the back-up cupcakes shined in their starring role. 

We gathered around and sang a very heartfelt 'Happy Birthday' to this little boy.

And he blew his candle right out.

My friend Natalie took this sweet picture :)

My present to Max this year <3

The boys having adventures in the yard. And yes Kipton is walking right off that edge.

I have a feeling this kid might be a football player someday. He knows just how to hold the ball.

Our friends and family gave Max the most thoughtful gifts. Wooden trains, cars, trucks...I love the charm of wooden toys. There were many 'soft' presents, knowing that almost everything gets thrown these days. He got legos for building, bath toys for splashing, books to snuggle up to at bed time...

and a compound bow and arrow. 

Thanks for that one Uncle Steve! 

Behold...the infamous bow and arrow.

We lingered outside, soaking up the most perfect weather I've experienced all summer. It was a good day. I felt like a guest at my own party...probably because my attentive friends and family kept everything moving so smoothly :) 

I know it is a little silly to throw a party for a 2-year-old, as he likely won't remember it. But I hope that he might look at these pictures some day, and underneath the decorations, the back-up cupcakes, the hats...I hope he sees love. 

Feels love. 

I hope he knows that he has a Mommy and Daddy who shed tears while blowing up balloons at 1:00 in the morning, just talking about what a blessing and joy he is...remembering that bright morning when we first held him in our arms and marveled. 

Two years later he continues to astonish us. 

Happy Birthday Maxwell Alexander <3