happy halloween!

yesterday was my best gal's birthday...and on the 24th was my other best gal's birthday. october is a big month for us. throw in some family pictures, a few house projects, and running my two little businesses and i kind of feel like i want to sleep for a week.

i really really do.

so. tired. *blink blink*

but that doesn't matter. i'm here today to do a little recap and share no fewer than 12903 pictures of party day!

we started the week with a visit from my other very best gals - my sister and niece. they flew in for the party and i was beyond excited. free labor. and i was also excited to see reese interact with kaye and sawyer.
the few days leading up to the party consisted a lot of just watching the gals play. i mustered up the motivation to do all the decorating a few days before...and i'm so glad i did. who knew hanging a few lanterns and banners would be so much work. (i did it last year...apparently i forget every. single. year.)

on friday we took three children to costco and it was a madhouse. note to self. never take three kids to costco. not only is there no room in your cart, but it's just insanity. to top it off...it was a ridiculously busy day. never again.


on saturday i woke up and started party preparations. i threw the pork in the crockpot (pulled pork sandwiches) and threw the cupcakes in the oven. i put kelli in charge of the food table because she's just so damn good at it. she makes things tall and layers and fusses and does this's and that's and in the end it looks like we're attending a catered event. i don't know how she does it.


regardless...when all the prep work was complete, this is what i looked like and i was pooped. kelli insisted on a picture.

"it's for the blog!" she said. "your readers will love it!" she assured.

well friends - do you love it? hot mess...at your service.

i managed to pull my act together in the final minutes and the party unicorned on!

the kids ran like wild...unicorns.

one gal came up to me and said in a very dramatic voice, "i'm so dramatic because i'm had SO. MUCH. SUGAR!!!"

and i thought - mission accomplished.

did i mention sawyer insisted on being mostly naked for most of the party?

cakepops - donuts - cupcakes - cookies

stop...cookies. can we talk about these cookies? actually...we can't. i'm planning a whole separate post for them.


we played pin the horn on the unicorn.





we smashed a unicorn piñata. kaye whapped the head right off. then amy's boy, brody, swiped a foot. and kaye's other little friend, adrian, knocked the whole thing down. all farm kids - all farm tough. that poor unicorn didn't have a chance.


there was present opening - which was pretty darn cute. both gals were so excited about each gift...and all the kids were almost as excited. they kept crowding closer and closer until they were all practically on top of one another. who knew it was all so thrilling?




there was happy birthday singing and candle blowing - sawyer nearly burned her nose and lips in her gusto to extinguish the flame.



the day was such a fun success and it took a fifth of the time to clean up as it did to put together.

oh...and the reason i have a hangover? well...i don't. not a real one anyway. i have a party hangover...and i hope i never forget how this feels. because when i get the crazy idea to throw a birthday party for the gals next year...i'm not going to break my elbow and we really are going to go to disneyland.



 

a huge thank you to amy for manning the camera on so many of these!