July 2008 Olivia Birthday Party
We sent out
Olivia's
Party Invitations to a birthday luau a few weeks ago. If you
didn't get a card - don't fret - we only invited local family (and
the grandparents too of course). We made the best of the
semi-finished
backyard with some luau-themed decorations (e.g. tiki torches and
the like). The kids were all provided with grass skirts, a flower (or a
shell) lei, and the opportunity to get a tattoo on their forearm or calf.
Olivia welcome her birthday guests in a new pink dress (with matching
silk flower hair clip) and her
new
"pretty" shoes.
Here are some pictures of the principal party guests:
From left to right: Eliana (age 4), Berkeley (age 5 yrs and 360 days), Nathan
(age 2), Isabella (age 4), Emily (age 3), Hinckley (age 1 month), and
the birthday girl Olivia (age 2). Not shown: Jenna, Ebey, and
Andrew (oops).
We invited the wife of our
home teacher,
Kamaile, to teach the kids a simple Hawaiian song. I can't remember
much of the song now, and the kids can't either... except for the part
that went "poo poo". Heh. Here is Kamaile teaching the kids the song
and the accompanying hand movements:
After the song we served a luau feast headlined with
Kalua Pork
and Teriyaki
Beef. There was also plenty of fresh fruit to munch on. I wish I
had taken a picture of the spread now. Suffice it to say, the food was
deluxe and there was plenty to go around.
After dinner, we sang to the birthday girl and served the cake:
We served the cake with three luau-themed flavors of homemade ice cream...
Coconut
Macadamia Ice Cream with Chocolate Chunks, Pineapple Ice Cream, and
Mango Ice Cream. The coconut ice cream was a big hit and I must say
that it was exceptional, one of the best flavors Kristy and I have
created. The pineapple was also very good. However, the mango
flopped (and it was the hardest to make!). I don't think my mangoes
were ripe enough as the flavor was very weak. Ah well.
Immediately following the cake and ice cream, Olivia opened up her
birthday presents:
Pictured below are two of her gifts... a new umbrella and a new
"sofa" (her word) for the attic playhouse.
But, by far, her favorite gift was a sing along cassette recorder that
the Thurmonds bought for her. Just take a look at the pictures:
It was a great party! I wish some of my own family was there to enjoy
it (maybe next year *wink wink*).
|