Anna's Fourth Birthday - Second Round

Anna's birthday, as most of you know is on Christmas Eve. Everyone we tell that to seems to think that it is a disadvantage. We also thought that when she was born. However, I've got to say that so far it has really worked in her favor. We are generally with one side of the family for Thanksgiving and the other side for Christmas. Those that are with her at Thanksgiving want to give her their presents then. So we have a little party, like we did this year at our house with my side of the family. Then, on her real birthday we have a party on the morning of Christmas Eve, like we did in Idaho this year. Finally, starting with last year we began having a friend party in later January. So this post is about round two - the party in Idaho on her real birthday:)

In my family we have a tradition of opening one present right when you wake up on your actual birthday. It is called your morning present. Anna got a huge pack of 24 cans of play-doh. Aunt Holly is the party decorator extraordinaire. She had streamers etc. all over the family room with the cake table set up in the middle with party hats (Anna's favorite) and blowers. Anna loved that cake so much. It was cupcakes all placed together in the form of a rainbow. Penny lit the cake, and cousin Josh helped her blow out the candles. She got so many nice presents from all her grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles. Some she was more gracious about sharing than others. It was a little rough on some cousins that had been told for weeks that they could not open all the presents they were seeing under trees, and here was this little girl opening present after present when no one else could! (See, another advantage to the Christmas Eve birthday).
She talks all the time about the party with her cousins.

Dancing with Whitney

tight string party hats with cousins Josh and Connor

This was one happy girl.