Kyle's 8th Birthday!!

Kyle's 8th Birthday was a huge success!  The celebrations kicked off on Friday, which was his actual birthday.  We got him a Boston Creme Donut (his favorite) for breakfast & then surprised him with a couple of gifts; a new (used) ATV, an Ant Farm & a remote controlled motorcycle toy.  He had his favorite take-out food for lunch (Taco Bell) & then finished off the day with a fun baseball game.  Jim was able to leave work a little early, so he got to see Kyle play a few innings which was a real treat!

On Saturday we invited our family over for another birthday celebration.  What a spectacular day it turned out to be!  The sun was shining & everyone was smiling...can't ask for more than that, right?!  Kyle, Bella, Sarah & Matthew had a blast playing together in the yard while the rest of us enjoyed relaxing in the sun & shade.  Savannah was the only one who wasn't happy.  Unfortunately she was running a little fever due to teething & wasn't pleased to see the yard full of noise & people!

And finally, on Sunday, Kyle had his final birthday celebration of the year.   His party at the Science place was a HUGE hit!!   It was so different from all of the other places we've ever been to; this was a truly fun, educational party.  The person who ran the show did an excellent job of keeping the kids interested & the experiments she had them perform were perfect for their age!  From melting a bar of Ivory soap in the microwave to exploding a bottle of soda to making rockets fly in the air w/ chemicals & more..all of the kids had a "blast"! They learned so much about Science in general, all while having an absolutely spectacular time!  Kyle is such a fan of Science so this place was perfect for him!  He was smiling from ear to ear through-out the entire party!!

I tried to take as many pictures as I could over Kyle's "Birthday Weekend" but I was all over the place so I didn't get as many as I would have liked - even still, I got some good ones! :

Matthew enjoyed feeling the warm sun on his chubby little cheeks!

He also enjoyed riding around the yard in the Firetruck with Kyle!

Bella & Jim found a shady spot to eat

We kept things very simple this year & had pizza, chips & soda!

                                                         My beautiful niece Sarah

 Melissa, Savannah & Ivy

                                                 Leslee stole a few moments with Savannah

                                                                     

 Bella was very happy with her new doll - a gift to her from us for (finally) being 100% potty trained!

                                       

Nana & Auntie Carole walked Kyle over to one of his (many) Birthday Surprises..

                                                               A shiny new bike!!

                                            He got some really cool gifts!!

                                                                          Cake time!

Enjoying a (much needed) relaxing bottle with Ina before bedtime

                                     
Kisses from Matthew!

 On Sunday morning I hit the kitchen bright & early to bake 24 creme-filled chocolate cupcakes for Kyle's Science party.  When I was finished baking & frosting them Jim came in to help decorate them.  (Yes, he really is THE Jack Of All Trades..)

                                              I think the Earth ones came out the best!!  So cool!

                                                  I can't say enough good things about how well the Science party went!  The kids got to play with some toys while waiting for the Wizard to arrive; they built big towers out of cardboard blocks..

 And they played at this massive Lego table..

 Kyle really enjoyed playing with everyone..

 My niece Michelle was the only girl amongst a sea of crazy boys, but she still had a great time!

                                        10 kids waiting patiently for the show to begin..

                       Kyle got to be the Wizard's Assistant..

 He helped to make a bottle of soda explode!  The kids were pretty excited over this experiment!

 The cupcakes were a HUGE hit!

 24 cupcakes & 24 squares of pizza were consumed in less than 10 minutes..haha!

 Present Opening Time!

We closed out the celebrations with a nice stroll around the block; I pushed the girls in the double stroller while Jim & Kyle rode their bikes; and then we roasted marshmellows by the firepit.

                                    

                                              The Princess gets fed a marshmellow..

                    These photo's were taken on Friday.  Kyle was super excited over his new ATV!  It won't be long before Bella is riding one, too!

 A few presents from his sisters; an Ant Farm & a remote control motorcycle toy

 Jim & I would like to give a very special Thank You to Mike & Joan; They spend so much of their time attending Kyle's various activities!  They're always around to help make things run smoothly & they're a huge part of our family.  On Saturday they both helped us set up the yard for the party - letting us borrow their tables & chairs.  They are so generous & thoughtful in all that they do; they even bought a little gift for Bella to open during the party so that she wouldn't feel left out!!  So thank you, Mike & Joan - for all that you do!

See you all again in August, when we celebrate the girls birthdays!