Super Birthday Weekend!

Our birthday celebrations lasted several days long!
It started a little early when Caroline got some gifts in the mail from her Nana:

and Grandma! (Have I mentioned this girl LOVES mail?)

Then we made her birthday cake together. This cake wasn't my idea, but I can't remember where I saw it - probably a magazine or a friend or cousin party. But I love it - simple, cute, and Caroline could help!

Caroline put her "birthday dress" from Grandma Scott on and the two of us went out on a mommy-daughter date!

We went and saw "My Son Pinnochio" - a musical that several of our church friends were in. It was SO cute!

The next day was Caroline's "party". She's been talking about going to Chuck E Cheese for months and we told her we'd go for her birthday. So she got to take 2 friends for pizza and games. They had a blast!

Chuck E Cheese went great! We went early enough that it wasn't crowded, we had coupons so it was inexpensive, I didn't have to plan, set-up, or clean-up, and the kids were so good for us!

These kids can EAT!

Then back to our house for cake and presents!

After the party, we spent the afternoon shopping the outlet stores in Tunica, then Dave and I went out for dinner for his birthday that night while Caroline stayed with friends. We went to Neeley's BBQ and it was SO good!

The next day was Dave's Birthday!

We had a lot of good food and just spent the whole day together. Isn't he handsome?

Caroline gave Dave a giant bag of peanut M&Ms!

The next day was Caroline's real birthday (I told you this was a several-day affair!)

We had to babysit, but we still had fun. Caroline wanted to make homemade pineapple pizza for lunch. The kids made their own and they were delicious!

Then after the boys went home, Caroline and I headed over to Baskin Robins for her free birthday cone.

She wanted to go to a restaurant for dinner, so we all went to Chili's. I could tell that all the festivities and sugar and staying up late the last few days were starting to take their toll on our girl. She kept saying she was tired and didn't feel good. While we waited for our food, she laid her head in my lap and then when it came she barely ate. She perked up when they sang to her and gave her ice-cream, but we knew something was wrong when she ate a bite of it and pushed it away!

We brought her home and put her jammies on. I went in on our bed to talk to my mom a little and she came in and laid down on our pillows and fell asleep! I can't remember the last time she voluntarily put herself to bed! She had a fever and wasn't feeling well at all, poor girl! Too much birthday I guess.

Here she is, conked out on our bed after a fun-filled few days. She's snuggling her present from Dave and I - a ladybug pillow pet.

So our girl is 5. I teared-up several times throughout the day, just thinking about the last five years and how I can't imagine life without her. Caroline is funny, cheerful, and snuggly. She loves babies and dress-up, singing and dancing, and most recently watching the Food Network and hosting her own cooking show with her play kitchen and plastic food. She is still a morning person and awakes happy between 6 and 6:30 every morning without fail. She dresses herself, knows her right and left, buckles herself in the car and just learned how to fold laundry. She loves her cousins,aunts,uncles and grandparents more than any toy and talks about them frequently. She loves her primary teacher and friends at church. She is so excited to hold her baby brother. She gives hugs and kisses freely and still wants to hold my hand! She is my precious girl and I love her more than anything and I can't believe she's 5!