Anna's Birthday Bash!

Anna turned 8 in February, but she wanted to have a summer swimming party so we decided to wait and have an 8 1/2 party instead. The big day happened on August 4 (nothing like waiting to the week before school starts back!) and with 17 friends (girls only!) invited, we cleaned, decorated, baked, shopped and set up for the big party.

Anna wanted to have a Luau, with swimming and a bonfire, and to also watch an outdoor movie. Terry and I worked hard getting things ready and even though we tried to talk Anna out of the bonfire (in August! - in Mississippi heat!) we went ahead with those plans and hoped the heat wouldn't be so bad from 7 to 10 at night. Well, we were wrong. It was still very, VERY hot - and that was BEFORE we lit the bonfire. But despite the heat, the girls all had a great time. I'm not sure many of them had roasted hotdogs over a fire before, but they enjoyed it -for the most part. (Terry and I did make the executive decision to forego the marshmallow roasting we had also planned!). Terry, and his very helpful bonfire-assistant, Tanner, were troopers getting the fire going and sticking it out helping all the girls roast their hotdogs. It was a fun idea, just maybe the wrong time of year.

Look closely! There's a bonfire on the island!

Anna had a great time swimming with all of her friends. They are a sweet group of girls that she has gotten to know from school and church. Thanks to the swimming, the girls weren't too incredibly hot around the bonfire, which was a plus. After eating hotdogs, swimming for a while longer, then checking out Anna's cake and singing "Happy Birthday", the movie under the stars -Cheaper By The Dozen 2 - got started. We projected it onto the side of Gran's house and it was pretty cool. The second the movie was over, it was a race back to the pool! Parents arrived and had to coax their girls out to go home.

Watching the movie

It was a fun party and Anna said she had a lot of fun. I hope she will remember these times of fun with good friends! Happy 8 1/2 Birthday, Sweet Girl!

We love you very much!