Birthday Blast

This past weekend we went to Arkansas for a birthday celebration!

Owen turned two on October 20th, and his cousin Jack turned 1 on the 21st. So, we Mommies thought it would be fun to have a joint birthday party for the two boys, and fun it was. On Friday the boys played and enjoyed the outdoors. Here's Corwin and Jack on Buck. Owen wanted nothing to do with being on that monstrous animal.

This is on Saturday before (or possibly during) the party. Owen saw Pa sitting on the bench swing, and thought he'd take a ride. It lasted about 2 seconds before he was ready to move on. It made a cute Kodak moment, nonetheless.

We had several games for the cousins to play. We started out with a skeleton scavenger hunt. The kids did an excellent job at finding all the skeleton pieces scattered around the yard. It was fun to see their wheels turning while the clue was read, then the light-bulb-moment, then the dash to find the piece.

We also played a relay with birdseed. Let me tell you, there were some fierce competitors among this crew.

Then, the popcorn eating contest. Kerrie Beth placed first place, Corwin second, and Macey third. But, they were all stuffing their faces trying to get that popcorn down. The little guys didn't care for eating it like a dog. But, they did appreciate the snack.

Here are the Birthday Boys, and their miniature cakes.

Owen insisted on eating his cake with a fork. I guess 2-year-olds are much more civilized than 1-year-olds. But, I think Jack had much more fun!

And, as is custom, there were entirely too many gifts. But, let me tell you, the boys are sure enjoying them today. Monster trucks, motorcycles, tractors, books, trains, flashlights, puzzles, games, and the list goes on...and on, and on....

Finally, the kids decorated pumpkins and received their treat bags. Corwin was too cool to put in his vampire teeth.

That evening was the annual Stroud Family Fall Festival. This event is hosted by Jeff and Vernetta, and their church is invited to attend. The boys had a ball. They played hard, rode the hayride, played in sand and dirt, ate hot dogs, and then left a mud pile in the bathtub afterwards. They were SO filthy!

We had an amazing time. The boys had so much fun with their cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. They were spoiled rotten, and now I get to deal with it today. Oh, well. That's the way it's supposed to be, isn't it?