Happy Birthday Weston! and Fiora goes to camp

Weston is 10!!

He reminded me a couple weeks ago that last year his birthday was during the Rappleye family reunion so he didn't get to have a "friend party", so he wanted to have a friend party this year, (even though he hardly ever plays with friends around here).  He spends most of his time with his gymnastics team, 4 hours 3 days a week, so I suggested he invite his gym team, but he wanted to invite Gavin, James, and Ethan, boys in this neighborhood. I put on my brave mommy face, and agreed to help him have a friend party, some mom's love the idea of throwing a party but all I can think about is that it will be a lot of work on my part.  But I will do what it takes to make a child's birthday wish happen.
His three friends came over and his Carpenter cousins and we ate the whole foods I'd cooked all afternoon (no throwing sugar and refined carbs at children on birthdays in this house). They all even seemed to like the oat banana carrot cake with no added sweetener, at least they all ate a piece! The boys played water balloon baseball and slip and slide and basketball while I visited with my mother, grandmother, and sister Heidi,it was so nice of them to come and they all appreciated my hamburger sliders with sweet potato buns and green beans. Weston got some nice gifts!  I was glad I put forth the effort to put together a party for him.  We love you Weston.   

Weston opening his gift from his parents, a lego set of course!

Fiora went to Clear Creek camp for a week.  I picked her up yesterday and she was worn out!  Lots of time in the sun and lots of cafeteria food, she had a headache and went to bed early.  But she reported that it was mostly a good time!  She got lots of outdoor education, toured a working mine, made new friends, learned lots of camp songs, and didn't catch one potgut with her critter trapper.  She was very brave to head off to camp without knowing a single soul, it was her first time away from home for an extended period of time. She said she was sad to miss Studio C, AGT, and the new dishwasher, but was not sad to miss her daily chores.  Thankfully she and her expensive contacts made it home safely.