cake, candles, rinse and repeat.

So, I still had the dilemma of throwing the best-ever birthday for six million kids, all without stressing out or losing my mind.

That's when I decided I personally didn't want to do anything.

I totally farmed out the birthday business to The Little Gym.

You may remember that all my girls have Little Gym classes during the week. They love the teachers there and always have a great time. Even though the parties looked a little pricy, in the end I decided it was worth it.

It was so totally, unbelievably worth it.

They told me they'd decorate a little bit, but I could bring stuff if I wanted. I thought that might meant they'd hang little "Happy Birthday" sign or something. Instead, I walked into this totally fun room:

I hung up this "Birthday Blessings" banner I'd made as a replacement for gifts. We asked all the guests to bring a handmade note, card, or blessing to hang here instead of bringing a gift. All of our guests brought really thoughtful and fun notes! I'll be so thankful to save them all for Emma and Abby to see when they're older; I hope it will help them look back and remember friends that they had for this season of their lives.
Here's a bigger view of the banner - overall, I was pleased with how it turned out, but I was a little irritated at how the Mod Podge on the letters made the cardstock turn up. I knew it was happening, but I felt powerless to stop it. Suggestions, anyone?
Emma had requested quite an elaborate Bunny Cake, but in the end, this is what she got: (oh, and try not to be distracted by their unusual leaning. Turns out that the bunnies didn't like each other very much, so they're each scooting to their respective sides. It has nothing to do with the fact that they were cut incorrectly and only barely salvaged at the last minute.)
Yes, Abby...that's right. Stand in front of the bunnies so no one will notice their irregularity:

Thankfully, I had asked my parents to bring a cookie cake. The bunnies turned out ok, but they weren't adequate for feeding a crowd!

Soon, people started arriving and I started snapping pictures.
Honestly, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from a party at The Little Gym. Would they just give everyone free play? Would that last for very long? Would they have structured games? Would that be totally lame? Would the activities appeal to a broad range of ages? I was curious how they'd pull it off.

They started with a few minutes of free play, to give everyone an introduction to the gym. My kids already felt totally at home.

Then, they got in a circle and each child was introduced.
It was like a Who's Who of Eggroll America life. There were lots of friends from our new church:
This is probably Emma's best friend in Oklahoma, Davis:
Oh yeah, and there was that one part where Abby was acting like, "It's my party and I'll do whatever I want."
There were friends from Emma's Friday School:

And her incredibly awesome teacher from Friday School, Mrs. Ambra (Ambra, I'm so sorry the only picture I have of you is this one! I had to post it though, because Emma just loves you SO VERY much!)
What came next was 45 minutes of serious physical activity. I know my kids slept well that night! They had them doing all sorts of fun things! Here, they were imitating crabs:
and clams, opening and closing:
There was some hide-and-seek:
And of course, they busted out the parachute. And some balls. And then there was popcorn.

Don't you wish you were a kid again?
There was tons of action in the gym.


Once they were sufficiently exhausted, everyone was corralled into the party room for cake and drinks.


By the end of the party, all the cakes were gone. Lots of hugs were given. Many special memories were made. Smiles, laughter and giggles marked the entire afternoon.

And all I had to do to make it happen was swipe my Visa card.

After the last guest left, I made a quick plan to eat dinner at Harry Bears with my family. As we drove there, we all debriefed about the party. I asked Samantha what her favorite part was: knocking over the giant cheese mat.

Emma's favorite part? "Being with all of my favorite people."

It's true - that almost everyone on this side of the world that she loves and shares her life with was there. It was a very special day.

Just as we were leaving the restaurant later that night, I quickly decided to get a few extra pictures. I mean, it's not every day I take a shower! Ha!

My brother and Samantha:

My dad and Silas have "an understanding". They're great friends!
My family with part of my crew - not sure where Abby took off to. (How very typical!)

But, I especially wanted one with my big birthday girl.
I used to bemoan the fact that she's not tiny anymore, that she doesn't have that toothless baby grin, or the precious baby grip on my fingers. I used to feel sad that the bumbly toddler stage was over, that she doesn't fit very well - or at all! - in my arms.

But - what I gain with her age are insights into her heart and mind. We have conversations, she has opinions, she has preferences. I can watch her think and reason. I can watch her grow in wisdom; I can watch her learn from her mistakes. I have a buddy to run errands with me and someone to help me remember the next phrase of the verses we're memorizing.

I'm sure I'll always miss her tinyness, but I'm learning to love this phase too.

Happy 6th Birthday, Emma!