Thursday, June 25, 2015

The Parties Don't Stop

Having two Littles with June birthdays just days apart always proves to be way too much fun!
This year, we gave the boys a choice between a big party (together) or a fun trip full of things they want to do. (This mom of a newborn thought that would be a nice alternative for this year.)
After the boys made a nice, long wishlist of things they wanted to do, they chose a birthday trip.


We did our usual donut cakes the Sunday before each boy's birthday.
I started this when Jax was three. Whenever his friends at school had a birthday, they would bring cupcakes. He would always ask me when he was going to have his school party. Since he has a Summer birthday, this is his school party - Sunday School that is!

 
My big six year old with his donut cake.


On Jax's birthday, he chose brunch at Huddle House.


Jeb was just happy to be there!


The night before Jax's Birthday we went to Cracker Barrel (one of Jax's faves) for dinner. (His bday was on a Wednesday, so we had church that night.)


But after church on his birthday
, we came home to open a couple of presents from Mom & Dad & to have birthday cake.



Yum & fun!


Whenever John would ask when it was his birthday we would tell him, "After Jax's." So naturally, John thought his birthday was the day after Jax's.
We made a birthday countdown paper chain to give him a visual of when his birthday would be.


A couple of nights later, we went to Uncle Blake & Aunt Lori's to have a swim party for both boys.


A little slip-n-slide fun.

This was Jax's first time to slip-n-slide. He caught on quickly! Check it out:







Too fun. (& now you see why they don't need a party!)


One of his gifts from Uncle Blake & Aunt Lori was goggles. He LOVED them. We think he looks like a minion when he wears them.


New obsession...




John & his donut cake the Sunday before his birthday.


Jax did not want a specific theme for his family party, but John was adamant about having a Super Mickey party.


For the record, there's pretty much NOTHING on the market for Super Mickey. There's the MM Clubhouse movie & a shirt I found online.
I had to improvise & make capes for John's little Mickey figures.

That Sunday (also Father's Day), we didn't have night service, so we headed out on our trip!


It was such a beautiful drive.
We got into Nashville pretty late (past all the kids' bedtimes) that night. We checked into the hotel & went to find dinner.


We all love Steak n Shake (& the boys had chocolate shakes on their wish list) so SnS it was for dinner/midnight snack!



We let the Littles sleep-in a bit the next morning. I captured this sweetness.


We brought John's Birthday Countdown Paper Chain along. We were SO CLOSE! 


We went to lunch at Chuy's. It was super good. Here's John with his mini tacos.



The Lego store was pretty high on the boys' wishlist.



They probably could have stayed in there for hours.




Build-a-Bear was near the Lego store, so that was our next stop.


I just love that man I married. He's such a good Daddy. He helped them pick out the costumes & accessories for their bears, then proceeded to get them dressed.


Jax with new family member - Fluffy "Darth" Dunn Jr. (He really wanted it to be a Jr. haha!)
John made a Hulk bear named Mr. Hulk Dunn.


I totally would've made an Ariel bear if my Hubs would have let me. For some reason, he didn't think it was a necessity.


We dropped by the Disney Store. John got birthday money to buy a Hulk costume, so we picked one up in his size.


Hulk Everything. This boy...


Lego fun during nap time. Ha!


D put Jeb on the bed & Jax set up all the stuffed animals around him. So cute!


A visit to Bass Pro was on Dustie's wishlist! (So is this contraption...)


The boys just thought it was another place to play. They loved all of the animals. Jax saw this bear & wanted his pic taken with it.


John did not.


Hilarious! 


More fun!


The other thing at the top of the wishlist was Rainforest Cafe. (This may, or may not, have determined where we went on this trip.)



They seated us in the back corner (perfect!) right near the gorillas. I was excited b/c that's Jax's favorite. When he was little he would call it, "Gorillas in Cafe."


Jax decided to get crazy & act like a gorilla when the rainstorms came. We were pretty much alone, so we let him.



VOLCANOOOOOO!!!
This place knows how to celebrate. They brought this to the boys with a shout & a song!


They loved it, of course.


We went to the movies.


& played on all the cool stuff that they never get to play


Daddy too :)


We went a few other fun places (some were on my wishlist), but the boys voted that my stuff was no fun. (Shopping, etc.)


We had another dinner at the Aquarium Restaurant.





The brought this out for the boys' birthday celebration.


They thought the shark was the coolest thing.


It was a neat restaurant that revolves around a huge aquarium. It had some great fish, stingrays, & sharks in it. & thanks to Jax's inquiring mind, we all met a bottle-nosed guitarfish named Gibson.


John spotted this huge chicken on the way home & requested to have his picture taken with it. (By all means!)


Hubs jumped out with him to take it while I took a behind-the-scenes shot.
He looks so big here.


Here's the scene for John's family birthday dinner. He requested mashed potatoes & hamburger steak for his meal.



Jax wanted to get John something with his own money. So sweet.


John's homemade Mickey cake that had already been "sampled."


We survived another birthday season! 
I can't believe we have a 6 y/o & a 3 y/o!!