Lydia's THIRD Birthday

Throwing parties for Lyd is as just much fun for me as it is for her. 

In the weeks before when I asked what she wanted to do to celebrate turning THREE, she said "eat sparkle cake!", meaning she wanted a cake with pink sprinkles. 😉 And she got it!

But when she got to the playground on the morning of her birthday, a perfectly sunny Saturday, and 25 of our friends showed up to play with her and share a mini tea party... I think she was very happy we'd set it up. If she even thought about that between building sand castles, running barefoot through the wet grass, and eating mini chocolate cupcakes and yellow and white flower-shaped tea cakes. 

Her mind was on the moment, and she was having a blast. 

So was I. :) 

Kids are so fun!!

Her third birthday started with Daddy FaceTiming to wake her up with me, then opening presents all together, the three of us and Barkley. It was midnight in Korea and he'd been up working on his grad school classes, so for once the time difference worked in our favor. 

She had presents from me and Matt of course: a new flower dress ("with pockets!"), Korean candy (all pink), and a bottle of Mini Mouse bubbles she'd spotted at CVS and couldn't live without. 

And also very thoughtful presents from Grammie Heidi, Grandpa Mike, Great Grandma Nuffer, and Great Aunt Joann, plus cards from more family members. 

Sarah and Ellen and my parents all gave her presents the week before at our family tea party, which I'll come back to in a second... 

And then it was off to her party! Early, before it got too hot, because it'd been over 100 degrees that week. But we shouldn't have worried - the weather was practically perfect. 

I didn't count since people were coming and going for over two hours, but there were about 25 of our new friends (from church and preschool) plus my mom there to celebrate. Add in the cutest paper tea cups and china plates you've ever seen, plus oranges and PB&J and mini pastries, cupcake-scented bubbles (thanks Amazon) and her giant, iridescent butterfly balloon at the playground... And you know it was good because she cried when we finally had to leave.

The tears didn't last long because later we went to Grandma and Grandpa's for "sparkle cake" (Trader Joe's had a pink sprinkle cake for $6 and it was just perfect?!) and we all sang Happy Birthday to her. She was perfectly happy - and refused to take off that birthday crown!

And she got to FaceTime Grammie Heidi and Grandpa Mike and Aunt Jenica and Uncle Jordan and Uncle Daniel so she really got to celebrate with almost everyone. 

The weekend before, Ellen was in town so the whole family went to a cute Bay Area "tea room" for an early party. Everyone was generous (it's so fun to make a big deal out of these early-years birthdays, see I'm not the only one!) - she got California-themed books and shirts, plus gummy sloths, which are her new favorite, and we all had herbal tea and sandwiches... It was very adorable. 

Plus, of course, some pictures with the aunties in front of the gorgeous June roses. Lydia adores Sarah and Ellen. 

And we can't forget the mid-week celebrations, either, because she had a special circle time at preschool where Miss Ann and Miss Jamie showed the class a picture from each year of Lydia's life and everyone sang to her. She LOVED the attention - can you see her squirming excitedly in the picture? 

I really do have as much fun with her birthdays as she does. And before you think she's spoiled, she had a few sad moments where she asked where Daddy was and said she wanted him to be there. Next year, he will be.

It's safe to say she was showered with love for a full week - what better way to start her fourth year of life?

**Editing this to add that later in the week we sent off the stuffed animal donations that our friends brought instead of gifts to her party - off to the Teddy Bear Brigade! It was a fun alternative to new toys, and she learned what "giving to charity" means... a double win if you ask me!!