Brayden's Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Bash-3 years old!!!

This year Momma went bonkers!!!  I really really wanted to throw Brayden a party he would never forget.  I asked him a few months ago what type of party he wanted, and he immediately said Yo Gabba Gabba.  Unfortunately...I could not find many of the things I wanted for his party at any stores....which meant making most of everything.  My Mom and Aunt JoAnn, and good friend Bonnie helped me with tissue papering, as one Gabba character took almost a whole day to complete.  Here are some of the fun pictures from his party!!!  He had such a great time, enjoyed the 60 some people that attended, and even got up to the microphone and sang Happy Birthday while telling everyone "thank you everyone for coming to my party-have to go eat cake now".

{When Brayden first arrived at the fire hall before anyone else}...he was quite shocked and excited!!!

The Yo Gabba characters I made {thankfully with help}

Party hats and horns!!!

Tables with puffs I made in Gabba colors...

Foofa wands I made in all different colors for the kiddos.

Marshmallow & frosting sticks...

Animal cracker scones

The crayon aprons my mom made for each child at the party...

Ron took the children on a tour of the fire trucks and each one got to sit inside and have their picture taken by their parents.  Lights on and all!

Brobee cake!!!  I made it and after it was mixed realized I added 1/2 cup of oil where I should have used 1/3 cup...it was a moist cake I must say, but very yummy!!!

Gift time!!!

Mommy and Brayden the next day at Applebees for his actual birthday.  They sang Happy Birthday to him and gave him his very own "special surprise" as he called it...ice cream sundae!!! 

Hope you had the best birthday ever bubby...we love you!!!

GPS...

Last weekend Ron was in his best friends wedding.  It was beautiful and special.  I will post more on that later...but that meant that we had to drive to Erie to pick up his tuxedo.  At the tux place they had a ping pong table, and Brayden had so much fun playing it the few times we were there in the last few weeks before the wedding. 

Today we drove back to Erie to pick up Grandma from the airport.  As soon as we headed down the main strip to the mall Brayden asked us if we were going to the "Ping Pong place".  Ron and I giggled that he knew and recognized where we were.

As we passed the "ping pong place" headed toward the airport, our GPS started telling us which way to go.  From the backseat Braydens says "what?"  to the female voice on the GPS.  Ha ha I know.  I started to explain to him that its just a voice on a machine that tells Mommy and Daddy which way to go in the car so we don't get lost.  I didn't get an immediate response, and I figured I wouldn't because that's alot to understand for a two year old right?  Brayden then says.."Um...well....Ma'am...where is the ping pong place?"...."Ping pong place where are you?". 

We were doubled over in hysterics at that point.  What a funny little guy.

Our baby will soon be 3!!!

Brayden is turning 3 this weekend.  I cannot believe how fast the last 3 years have gone.  I told Ron the other night that I remember saying, "I can't wait until he can smile, laugh, crawl, walk, talk, sing, dance, hug, kiss, snuggle, being potty trained, his big boy bed...everything"....but now that he has done, and he doing all of those things...I am craving just wanting my baby baby back ;-( 

It makes you realize very quickly that you need to embrace every single moment in their lives.  Take time to enjoy the simplest of moments.  Those moments when he wants to snuggle on the couch and watch cartoons on a lazy non busy day.  Moments when we are blowing bubbles, playing with him in the tubby, combing his hair, or snuggling with him at bedtime.  We never get those moments back, so we should inhale them every second we can. 

Right now Brayden is growing like a weed.  He is 3ft. 3 inches tall already, and 46 pounds!!!  He is a tank.  I can barely lift him up anymore.  He loves baseball and is actually quite good at it.  He loves singing songs, shaking his tooshy while saying "uh oh"...and talking with Mommy and Daddy.  He is very sociable, and not shy at all!!!  He loves to make people laugh with his one liners he knows he will get a reaction from...like "Are you kidding me" or "Pee-U Good Night" or "Oh my shucks"...."Jeeze Louise"..."you're making me crazy nuts"..."Im mad and I quit {care of Ni Hao Kailan}"..."Im runnin away {care of Little Bill}"..."Hey Dude, come here"..."seriously!"..."Hey babe!" or "Honey, babe...Honey!"  {Thats usually what I say to Ron so Brayden naturally copies that}...yes yes I know those are all things that make him appear as quite the stinkbutt, but really he isnt.  He is polite, well mannered and very sweet in nature.  He always says please and thank you and your welcome.  He calls ladies Miss, or Ma'am, tells Mommy "You're beautiful Mommy", and says "I love it" whenever he is truly excited about something!!!  He is just a trip.  He makes me giggle when I least expect it.  He is intuitive and gentle.  He doesn't bite, or kick or hit.  He takes turns with toys at play dates, and loves to give hugs.  Ok...Ill stop gushing over my peanut, but I am proud of the little guy is growing up to be. 

I am constantly reminded there is a God when I look at my son.  I am reminded that I have more in life than I could ever hoped for, and am grateful and happy that we are all happy and healthy. 

Brayden has recently started saying prayers every night before bed.  He sounds so precious...I need to tape record it some evening so I will never forget how adorable he sounds while saying this every night before bedtime: "Dear Lord, thank you for everything.  Thank you for my family,  my friends, and my pets.  Please Guardian Angels...always watch over me and my family and pets...keep us safe, and happy and healthy.  Tell my family in heaven I said hello.  I love you God...Amen."  Occasionally he will add names like..."thank you for my brookey {his cousin} or Grandma, or Shadow and Chewbacca, or Mommy and Daddy.  It is soooo sweet.  We read Playful Puppies every night before bed at his request....then he tried to read it to us.  He ALMOST has the entire book memorized...and copies the same voice inflection.  Its too adorable.

Although I am excited to celebrate his 3rd birthday and grateful to God for this beautiful little boy he gave us...I am sad he is growing up so fast.  Its breaking my heart a little bit. 

Happy Birthday baby....we love you so much!

This is AWESOME!!!

Yo Gabba that is...yes...Brayden's 3rd Birthday is right around the corner, and I have been working like a mad woman trying to make everything for his party.  A few months back we asked him what kind of party he wanted, and he insisted on Yo Gabba Gabba!!!  He named off a list of things he wanted which included Lemonade, chocolate covered strawberries, a chocolate Brobee cake, Brobee games, and strawberry ice cream.  He has NON STOP been talking about his party ever since.  He is inviting everyone he sees by saying "come to my party please?". 

So, I searched for supplies to buy, but fell short both with funds, and finding places to buy Yo Gabba themed items.  I did however find a whole host of ideas online from other savvy Momma's that have already thrown Gabba themed parties.  So...I have been creating at my dining room table for the last few weeks now.  So far....we have like 30 of these puffs...

All Yo Gabba primary colors of course.  I have also been painstakingly...{and that is NO understatement} been making these with tissue paper..yes...in EVERY.SINGLE.CHARACTER.

We will also be having all of these fun things as well...ALL HANDMADE...

It has become nothing short of insane.  Not to mention our guest list is already over 100 people, 60 of which have RSVP'd they are coming.  We will have Yo Gabba music, games, a Brobee cake, ice cream, yummy food, balloons galore, Foofa wands, and Yo Gabba Land will be complete for the day!  I am so happy I can do this for Brayden, and he is sooooo excited.  I hope he loves his birthday party, and has a wonderful day. 

I will happily post pictures once all of my projects are complete, and add tutorials on how to make everything too!  Its been a TON of work, but will definitely be worth it. 

Looking up to Daddy...

Recently Ron was voted into one of our local fire departments as a new volunteer.  He has truly enjoyed volunteering for the department thus far, and is learning so much.  This new endeavor of his has also afforded him the opportunity to ride along in, and help out during fires, medical calls, etc.  He loves being in a position to be able to help people, be involved in his community and further his education through them.  Brayden loves that this means Daddy also got a key to the department, and can go and tour the fire trucks whenever he wants too...which means Brayden gets his fill of seeing the big fire trucks whenever he requests to do so.  A few months ago...Ron took him to the station for the first time so Brayden could climb in the trucks, rescue boats, and tour the department.  Brayden was nothing short of awestruck.  I think Daddy was too a little bit by being able to bring Brayden there.  Brayden thinks Daddy is more than way cool now!  Here they are "playing" at the fire station in the big fire trucks...it was truly fun to watch them be boys that day.

Be still my heart

Today after Brayden and I hit the local Wegmans picking up some things for dinner...we arrived home and I {not wanting to make more than one trip inside with groceries}....grabbed all of the bags and carried them to the side door to set them down and get Brayden out of the van. 

Brayden asked me why I dropped the bags, and I chuckled and told him they were heavy!!!  He quickly bent over and grabbed a bag with all his little might and said "I help you Mommy-it's heavy!"  I opened the side door and he waddled up the stairs and all the way into the kitchen carrying it for me.  He worked so hard, and was so proud of himself for being a big helper!!! 

I thought for sure he would get inside the door and set it down before making it all the way, but he did'nt, he struggled and worked so hard!!!

 I was so proud of him for being such a great little guy!!! 

 Moments like these remind me we are doing something right....

♥ Be still my heart ♥

Camera...

My poor camera has over 400 pictures stored on it now that I cannot get off and onto the computer.  It's seriously been like two months of taking pictures that are stuck on my camera card. My camera cord is not working {for some reason} and our disk drive is broken on the laptop so I cant even get them on a disk to upload them...argh!!!!  I promise I have tons of pics to post, just need to find a solution to my camera debacle first.