Party Week

We have been partying all week here - seriously. Makele's birthday was on Monday, but since we were gone for a week, we had her party with extended family yesterday.

Monday I baked her a cake and we had a little party with just the four of us. Jack thought it would be fun to help Makele blow out her candles:

Makele, on the other hand, did not:


She got spoiled rotten! She has loved playing with her craft set from Grandma and Grandpa Ellison and has even shared some of it with Jack!

On Wednesday, she got to celebrate her birthday at school. She took photos of her at each age to show everyone -

Then she walked the globe around the sun while the children sang, "the earth goes around the sun, the sun, the earth goes around the sun and Makele turns one." She would drop a marble in the cup for every year every time she went around the sun.

She then got a hug or handshake from all the kids and teachers in her class -


That afternoon we took the commuter train down to Build-a-Bear in Salt Lake. Makele had her heart set on doing this ever since Jack did it for his birthday. It was a tough decision to narrow it down to just one bear (especially when mom and dad were trying to steer her to the cheaper bears)!

The cleaning station is always a big hit -

Afterward Jack and Makele played in the fountains. We had a hard time pulling them away when it was time to leave!

Yesterday we went to Chuck-E-Cheese (this is another thing Makele just HAD to do after Jack got to do it for his birthday). Jeff's parents, Makele's cousins Sophie and Shelby, Aunt Shawna and Kylie, and Uncle Jeremy, Taryn and Dustin were all there to help her celebrate (and once again spoil her rotten with all the gifts)!

Makele had yet another round of candles to blow out -


And more gifts to open -


I really hope she doesn't think this is the way it's going to be around here - one party after the next! I'm looking forward to things getting back to normal (which would translate into boring for the kids)!