Birthday bash

This year, for the first time ever, we decided to throw Jaxon a big birthday party. It is something we have successfully avoided up to now, as we aren't really the "party-throwing" type, but I figured we could do it once every seven years.We rented a cabin in the mountains about 10 minutes away from our place a couple of months ago and since then had been praying like crazy that they weather would be nice enough to have an outdoor party. I was starting to lose hope in April when the weather had suddenly turned on us and it started snowing in the mountains again and pouring cold rain on us daily in the valley. As soon as we could see the 10-day weather forecast for the day of the party we checked it multiple times daily and it only ever said one thing: showers. We had invited Jaxon's entire class as well as his primary class at church and some others, which I started to regret as the RSVPs started pouring in and I dreaded the idea of handling 20+ kids in a little cabin. Even the morning of the party the weather forecast reported showers. Miraculously, though, we had sun the entire time. It was even raining in our village when Daniel came to pick some people up, but the had sun for all three hours! When the bouncy castle guy came back to pick it up he was shocked to find out that it hadn't rained for us since it was apparently raining everywhere else nearby. A little birthday miracle for Jaxon! 

We had a great time. We played relay games...

Jumped on the bouncy castle (it was nearly impossible to get them off of the bouncy castle)...

Did a pinata...

Had birthday cake...

Decorated cupcakes...

Opened birthday presents...

My sister had freaked me out about a three-hour party being too long, but by then end I felt like it wasn't long enough! We hadn't had time to get through half of the things we had planned

It is still not something we are going to be doing every birthday, but it was a lot of fun and Jaxon definitely deserves it. He is such a great kid and was so grateful for everything. Jonas held up really well and played like a natural with the big kids. He only seemed bothered when the present opening began. "Hey, where are my presents?" he asked.