We celebrated Steven’s birthday for a third time with family and friends on Saturday, and it was a lot of fun! We had a good turn out although some of our guests couldn’t make it last minute.
Thankfully Luke and I had gotten almost everything ready the day and evening before because Saturday morning did not go as planned! The original plan was that we would all wake up at 7 am get showered and get Steven ready for soccer and gymnastics and Luke would take Steven to his sports while I finished making the Chili we were serving for lunch, frosted the cupcakes, made beds, vacuumed the upstairs floors, and finished other last minute details.... well, that all changed before our alarms even started going off.
Luke’s phone started beeping like crazy because he was getting one email after another after another, as soon as he looked at his messages he knew he had to get to work as fast as he could. He threw on clothes and was out the door in a few short minutes. Turns out the computer servers at his work were overheating big time, and the emails were alerts every time the temperature rose an additional degree- and it was rising quickly. Luke offered to take Steven with him to his office and then go to soccer when the problem was resolved, but not knowing what was causing the problem meant that he had no idea how long it would take him to fix it and we didn’t want Steven to miss his last day of soccer....
I called Gail and Gib (Luke’s Mom and Step-Dad) shortly after 7am explained about Luke unexpectedly having to go into work and asked if they could meet Steven and I at soccer and take over watching for me when they got there so I could get home and do all of things I had left to do for the party. Even though I woke them up, and even though they live almost an hour away they jumped out of bed, got ready and came as fast as they could... because they are awesome! (Thanks guys!)
I got up and made Steven breakfast and got him ready to go- it was a very hectic morning because between getting everything ready for the party the night before we totally forgot to get Steven’s bag packed for his activities. I couldn’t find his soccer socks with the built in shin guards that he prefers to wear (turns out they got thrown behind the sports equipment storage tub last week... I found them later in the afternoon) so we had to improvise and wear a different pair of shin guards, which was fine but then we couldn’t find his socks to go with them... and needless to say Steven was much more concerned with playing Legos, where his Leapster was etc. which didn’t help calm my nerves as the clock was ticking past the time we were supposed to leave. We eventually put on a pair of long (yellow... from spring T-ball) baseball socks over his shin guards which looked ridiculous with his red shirt and pants... poor kid looked like McDonalds. But regardless, we were out the door with everything we needed just a few minutes late... Steven was so excited that Nana and Papa were coming to watch him play soccer and take him to gymnastics he did not care about anything else!
So, we got to soccer and thankfully we were not the only family running late, which made me feel a little better. Gail and Gib arrived around 9:15am, and shortly after they called to say they were pulling into the parking lot Luke also called and said the same thing. I felt so bad that I had dragged Gail and Gib out of bed just to arrive at the same time as Luke, but it really worked out okay and they (said they) didn’t mind. By 9:30am I was 2 hours behind schedule and I was starting to panic so Luke and I ended up heading home together (after a quick stop at the store to pick up a few last minute items) to get everything done... and thank goodness it worked out this way because I would have never gotten everything finished otherwise at this point without his help (I hadn’t even showered yet). Oh and if you were wondering, the reason the servers overheated was because the cooling system in the building Luke works in had been shut off the day before- without any notice...wonderful.
As soon as we got home I finished putting my Chili together- thankfully I had planned ahead of time for such a big batch of Chili (I quadrupled my regular recipe) and I had cooked all of the meat with the onions, garlic, celery and carrots at work the day before while the kids were napping... so all I had to do was heat up the meat and add the tomatoes and beans and spices. Once I got the chili cooking and frosted and sprinkled the cupcakes I ran upstairs to shower while Luke did everything else on the list... and then some on! YAY Luke- you were amazing!!!!
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As soon as we got home I finished putting my Chili together- thankfully I had planned ahead of time for such a big batch of Chili (I quadrupled my regular recipe) and I had cooked all of the meat with the onions, garlic, celery and carrots at work the day before while the kids were napping... so all I had to do was heat up the meat and add the tomatoes and beans and spices. Once I got the chili cooking and frosted and sprinkled the cupcakes I ran upstairs to shower while Luke did everything else on the list... and then some on! YAY Luke- you were amazing!!!!
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If anyone is interested in my Chili recipe here it is:
(Lindsey, you can totally make this... trust me)
(Makes 8 Servings- I usually double the recipe and freeze what we don’t eat for a quick lunch or dinner another day)
2 Pounds ground beef or ground turkey
1 onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 full stick of celery, finely diced
2-3 baby carrots, minced
1 cup water
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (I substitute frozen homegrown tomatoes from our garden)
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes (I substitute frozen homegrown tomatoes from our garden and add some Italian seasoning)
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans
2 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Hot sauce to taste (I don't add any and offer it to the people eating the chili)
Hot sauce to taste (I don't add any and offer it to the people eating the chili)
1. Start by chopping up all of your veggies and garlic add them to the meat and cook until the onions are translucent and the meat is cooked. If necessary, drain the excess grease.
2. Return the meat to a large pot and add the water, tomatoes, tomato sauce, all beans, and all seasonings. Stir together.
3. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer for at least 30 minutes stirring occasionally to make sure that the chili doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.
4. Enjoy eating. I highly recommend adding a dollop of sour cream, some shredded cheese, saltine crackers and diced onions for extra yumminess. P.S. it tastes even better the next day.
NOW GO MAKE IT!!
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Papa and Steven arrived home from gymnastics a few minutes before noon. Luke took him upstairs for a quick shower and to change his clothes. I put Gib to work helping me fix the tent on the swing set. All that work I had put into the darn thing and it didn't hold up very well- so Gib stapled it back on. I thought the kids would want to play outside for a little while and they would enjoy having the tent up on the swing set because it makes it more fun.
As soon as Steven was dressed and downstairs Nana and Steven's cousins Nev, Addy and Grace arrived for the party fun! They headed outside to play. They played on the swing set and then came in for a couple soccer balls and then played around in the field behind our house. Just as I finished up a few things inside and got the camera they came inside with their cute rosy red cheeks... and I didn't get any pictures of them playing :(
Everyone who came to the party brought an appetizer to share which was really nice and very helpful (took a load of work off this tired pregnant mama) and made for a great variety of yummy food to go with the Chili. We had fresh veggies and dip, Gail's famous hot snack (that's a recipe I need) and chips, delicious deviled eggs, a variety of yummy muffins, chips and salsa, lemon bars and birthday cupcakes!
After everyone arrived and visited for awhile we sat down to eat... we managed to fit all of the adults at the dining room and the kids had their own special little table next to us in the living room and special chicken nuggets to eat- except for Nev who was brave enough to eat the Chili. After we were all done eating and chatting and we had cleaned all of the chocolate cupcake and frosting off of the floor under the kids table it was time for Steven to open his birthday gifts. He was so excited! Pictures are below...
Do you like Steven's special birthday photo booth... we thought of it the night before, and I think we will make it a tradition in our family from now on- what a nice way to get a picture with every guest and have a special memory :)
As soon as Steven was dressed and downstairs Nana and Steven's cousins Nev, Addy and Grace arrived for the party fun! They headed outside to play. They played on the swing set and then came in for a couple soccer balls and then played around in the field behind our house. Just as I finished up a few things inside and got the camera they came inside with their cute rosy red cheeks... and I didn't get any pictures of them playing :(
Everyone who came to the party brought an appetizer to share which was really nice and very helpful (took a load of work off this tired pregnant mama) and made for a great variety of yummy food to go with the Chili. We had fresh veggies and dip, Gail's famous hot snack (that's a recipe I need) and chips, delicious deviled eggs, a variety of yummy muffins, chips and salsa, lemon bars and birthday cupcakes!
After everyone arrived and visited for awhile we sat down to eat... we managed to fit all of the adults at the dining room and the kids had their own special little table next to us in the living room and special chicken nuggets to eat- except for Nev who was brave enough to eat the Chili. After we were all done eating and chatting and we had cleaned all of the chocolate cupcake and frosting off of the floor under the kids table it was time for Steven to open his birthday gifts. He was so excited! Pictures are below...
Do you like Steven's special birthday photo booth... we thought of it the night before, and I think we will make it a tradition in our family from now on- what a nice way to get a picture with every guest and have a special memory :)
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| Opening his card from Nana and Papa |
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| Anxiously opening his gift bag- which sadly ripped- but Auntie Michelle cut out the remaining characters so Steven could decorate his bedroom wall with them! |
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| BEYBLADES- Just what he wanted!! |
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| Photo Booth with Nana & Papa |
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| Stickers for Steven's sticker book from Lindsey & Abby (Lindsey and Abby always had awesome sticker books when we were kids and they inspired me to make Steven a neat sticker book- which he got last year as a gift.. very fitting ladies) |
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| Photo Booth with Abby and Lindsey |
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| MORE BEYBLADES from Auntie Bonnie |
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| Photo Booth with Auntie Bonnie |
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| WOW!! A Pokemon sticker book from Auntie Michelle |
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| Books Books Books from Auntie Michelle- We love to read!! |
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| Yippie another book :) |
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| Photo Booth with Auntie Michelle |
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| Connect 4 from Grandma Diane & Jeff |
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| UNO!!!! Steven's most recent favorite game!! |
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| Photo Booth with Jeff & Grandma Diane |
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| Photo Booth with Cousins Grace, Addy and Nev (I had to bribe Grace with cupcakes to take home to stand nicely for the picture... it worked) |
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| Michelle, Abby and Lindsey watching gift opening (All of us have been friends for 18 years <3) |
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| Nev and Addy (Steven is so excited to be 6 now just like his cousin Nev) |
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| Steven and our lovely pooch Marmaduke <3 |
After opening gifts, Nana, Papa and the girls had to leave as Gail and Gib had more plans for their evening. Soon after Lindsey and Abby also left as they were going to a corn maze before it got dark (and scary) out. Grandma Diane and Jeff decided to take Steven fishing on the river/ pond behind our house- Steven was so excited to get out the door he kept forgetting things... first his jacket, then his shoes, then his tackle box... we didn't let him leave until he was dressed warm and had the stuff he needed though. Steven loves fishing more than any other kid I've ever met. I'm glad he likes it.
He only caught one fish, but he was very happy that he caught one...
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| Steven's Crappie |
When he was done fishing, Grandma Diane brought him back home. By this time, we had finally finished putting all of the food away and had gotten everything cleaned up from the party. Steven insisted that Daddy help him open all of his new BEYBLADES and try them out. After that we said goodbye to Grandma Diane and Jeff as they still had a long drive home.
Finally it was time to carve our pumpkins!
I'm personally not a huge fan of carving pumpkins because I have an allergy to the pumpkin guts and my skin tends to break out really bad if I touch it- but I had no intention of missing out on the fun with Steven. We had 3 pumpkins and 5 people so we all worked together and my skin stayed in pretty good shape. Yes, unfortunately this allergy means that I can't eat pumpkin pie without getting really sick, but I can eat roasted pumpkin seeds (thankfully because they are SO yummy).
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| Here is Auntie Bonnie cleaning out the pumpkins |
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| Steven scooping the guts out |
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| Auntie Bonnie and Steven busy at work |
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| My handsome husband, such a good Daddy he is! |
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| Luke helping Steven clean out his pumpkin... Steven needed a break |
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| Here is Auntie Michelle collecting the pumpkin seeds for roasting. EEEEWWWW pumpkin guts! The seeds were delicious!! |
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| Steven learning to safely carve his pumpkin |
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| Working hard! |
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| All finished! |
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| Auntie Bonnie's pumpkin in on the top, mine is on the left, and Steven's is on the right! All glowing in the night :) |
After we finished carving our pumpkins and got everything cleaned up, Steven changed into his pajamas and it was officially time for family game night... and guess what game he picked to play?
If you guessed UNO, you are correct!
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| Can you tell that Steven is happy? He loves UNO, and he is pretty darn good at it! He won 2 out of 5 or so games! |
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| The last picture of the night! |
After playing several rounds of UNO we read some of Steven's new books before bedtime. It turned out to be a great party and a really fun day... regardless of how it started out! Steven had a really good time, and so did Luke and I. What a fun week of birthday celebrations we had! Sad it's over...
HAPPY 6th BIRTHDAY STEVEN!
