{Knox}: Transformer Bots 4th Birthday Party

Knox is FOUR!  I can't believe my first baby is getting so big.  This stage of his life is so fun, and I think his party proved that point.  Long gone are the days of "cartoon cars" and "cars that talk," we are full-blown into super heroes and transformers.

His party was held at Rolly Pollies, a great place for all of his friends to run around and tire themselves out...who doesn't love that?

Knox wanted to go as his favorite bot, Heatwave (the firefighter).  We had a little photo session before we left:

Love this picture of my sweet boy! 

And like all heroes, they have a sidekick.  Introducing, Batgirl!

Mommy and daddy even got in on the theme:

After our photo shoot, we loaded up the car and headed to his party.  He was so excited, and he loves rolly pollies.  He had the place to himself for a bit, so he took full advantage of the vacant trampoline!

(some of these pictures are blurry, but I loved them so much I kept them in)

He climbed walls...

Hung from rope walls...

and jumped with friends while watching himself in the mirror!

They announced the birthday boy, and everyone cheered for him.  He gets shy, but secretly loves it!

Then it was time for free play!

Batgirl was overwhelmed with all of the crazy kids!

In the center of the room, there's a zipline that ends in the foam pit.  On previous trips, he's been too afraid to do it.  We were so proud of him for zipping not one but TWO times!  

Once the kids had gotten good and sweaty, it was time to eat!  Pizza, pretzels, fruit, juice and cake.  Can life get better??

Everyone got their own "Super Hero Starter Kit" to take home, and I think everyone had a great time.

Knox definitely slept well after his party.

Sunday was his "real" birthday.  He woke up and we made breakfast.  As he finished eating, we gave him his first surprise.

(sorry for the egg in his mouth)

Immediately after his excitement regarding Disney, he asked for a real present :/

(sorry it's sideways)

Then, we gave him his "real" present.

He was so excited, even though it wasn't a black scooter, just his size :)  We drove all around the neighborhood, and even picked a friend on the way.

And it didn't take long for him to learn to drive like a maniac...

Knox is just pure joy, and we are so blessed to call him ours.

His 4-year appointment is tomorrow, so I'll update his stats soon.

Easter Festivities, Part Two

The second round of Easter festivities were on Saturday.  We had a fun-filled family day, and then head up to church.  The service was amazing, as always, and Miss B was an angel (except for her semi-loud toot during prayer...ooops!).

Sunday morning, Knox was super excited to see what the bunny brought him.

Though excited about the Heatwave costume, there was no fooling him on who bought it!  Stinker.

After breakfast we got ready and headed over to my parents for lunch.  Mom wanted Easter pics with the whole fam, so we got dolled up and set up the tripod.  Amazingly, everyone looked and we got a good shot!

We took some of our family, too.

Then it was time for the usual...too much food and adorable decor!

When lunch was over, Gigi set the eggs out for the kids to hunt.  

Knox and Mackenzie tied for most eggs, so they each got $5.  Promise he was happy.

Gigi also had a little surprise...baskets for everyone.  Blu (from Rio) was a hit!

Restaurant gift cards were a hit for us, too!

And...Heatwave has been protecting our house ever since.  Whew.

So thankful for a savior that conquered the grave.  Happy Easter 2014!

Easter Festivities, Part One

Easter is such a heavy holiday when you reflect on the reason...Christ's death on the cross to save us from sin.  While hanging he was thinking of ME, of us, of our lives.  Incredible.

For the kids, though, it's all about egg hunting and candy.  Quite the juxtaposition.

While we try and teach Knox the true reason, it's also really fun to watch him experience the lighter side.  We hosted an Easter Egg hunt for the neighborhood, and we had egg hunts, candy decorating and park playing for all who came out.  It really was a great time and it's always fun to meet new neighbors and hang out with our friends.

Knox loved the hunt, and eating icing:

His school also had an Easter party and egg hunt.  We just love his school and class, so it was a treat to watch them hunt eggs and celebrate Jesus together!

Blakely slept the entire party...Next year will be a different story!

Finally, we had a few attempts with the Easter bunny.  The first one, Knox really let me know how he felt (see his finger):

And the second was after a lot of bribing, and a compromise that he could be "next to" but not "on the lap of" the bunny:

The Easter bunny will hop on over to our house Easter morning, we'll head to church to celebrate Jesus and then have a big hunt/lunch with all of the cousins.  Will post about that next week!