Iris turns 4!

We decided this year to make it easier on ourselves and do a combination birthday party for both kids between their birthdays up North but we still had our own little celebration on Iris' birthday last month.

These are Iris' reactions (milliseconds apart) as we were getting ready to decorate her cake.  Oh the JOY of impending sugar!!!  We made a rainbow confetti cake with strawberry frosting and sprinkles.  Who do you think picked those out?

It looks a little like a gint sprinkle doughnut.  Ignore the ugly counters, ughh!

First I need to show a few pre-birthday pictures.  Iris had been wearing her paper birthday crown from her 3rd birthday card from Teri all year long.  The poor thing had been re-taped so many times that I decided to make her a more permanent crown out of felt for her birthday.  While I was secretly in the middle of that project Iris announced that she wanted to make a new paper crown.  ESP??

She made crowns with tinfoil gems for herself, Miles and even his cars

We had been considering getting a sandbox last year for her third birthday but never pulled the trigger.  Since having a tree stump removed in our backyard this become their favorite muddy, digging area.

Yeah, I think a sandbox could only be an improvement!

Okay, back to the birthday...

Donning new crown and boa

We couldn't pass up the 6'x6' cedar sandbox with snap-on cover we found on Craig's list and only about five minutes away from our house.  Yeah, for Jeff loading and hauling over 1000 pounds of sand!

Miles with Jeff's old dump truck and new crown

Seeing the new sandbox that we set up and filled after she went to bed the night before.  Oh, and yeah it exactly fits where the old mud pit was - double yeah!!

Iris' Birthday fell on Father's Day this year.  Here she is giving him the drawing she made.

Miles saying Happy Birthday to Iris and having cake

Iris singing happy birthday to Miles???

Happy birthday beautiful!  We're looking forward to four (supposed to be better than three ;-))