Fun Bunny Birthday Bash :)

Camryn just couldn't resist all the cute Easter decorations in the stores, as the holiday was only 3 days after her birthday, so she wanted a cute Easter-y bunny party!

Pre-party pictures of the girls :)

The girl cousins were a little harder to get a picture of - too funny!

The family and friends starting to gather!

Food time :D
Ryan grilled out - it was a really nice night for it!

Time for presents!

New Kindergarten backpack! :D

And cake :) It was supposed to be "Easter" colored, but when we picked it up, it was more primary colors. oh well...it still tasted really yummy!

It was a fun party to celebrate this little girl!

Camryn Ann....you are FIVE!

Somehow, our LITTLEST one, is FIVE years old!

Oh, Camryn Ann...what an amazing part of our family you are. :) You have your own personality...and don't mind being the center of attention. You like to twirl, dance, sing, dress-up, be loved on, cuddle, make people laugh...you are a delight, little girl. :)

Last bedtime picture as a four-year-old

Here is the picture I posted of Camryn on Facebook for her birthday :)

Camryn's answers to my questions now that she is FIVE :)

Favorite color: pink
Favorite movie: Inside Out
Favorite tv show: Looney Toons
Favorite part about Toddlerville: when I get to play with Harper
Favorite teacher: Miss Colleen and Miss Linda
Best friend: Taylor
Other friends: Abby, Walter, Ceasar, Addi, Harper
Favorite dinner: Bunny Soup
Favorite snack: Chocolate covered granola bar
Favorite sandwich: cheese sandwich or peanut butter and jelly
Favorite cereal: Frosted Flakes
Favorite place to visit: Annie's House
Favorite thing to play outside: the playground at Taylor's school
Would you rather play inside or outside: outside
Favorite toy: lambie and taggie
Favorite place to go out to eat: Salt and Pepper
Favorite animal: sheep
Favorite thing to do in the summer: play and splash in the water at the beach
Favorite holiday: Christmas
Anything else? seeing dolphins, I like playing with babies with Taylor

Dislikes
What food do you dislike? green peppers, tacos
What are you scared of? shadows, bees, bugs, spiders, bats
What makes you feel frustrated? when Taylor takes my lovies, socks that feel funny, when Taylor tries to steal my food

What do you want to be when you grow up? veterinarian

Before school picture with my little sweeties!

Camryn brought mini cupcakes for her friends at Toddlerville :)

Wearing her special birthday shirt

Birthday hugs before drop off!

After school, Taylor and I picked up Camryn together. Cam requested sprinkle pancakes for dinner. :)

Cam could hardly wait to open her birthday gifts. :)
Taylor picked out a big pink Peep for Cam :)

And we surprised her with her own desk! This big kid is going to be in Kindergarten next year, and will need a place to do her homework. :)

Later in the evening, while getting things ready for the next school day, the house was so quiet. Camryn was drawing and coloring at her desk, and Taylor was reading her library book. In this moment, it really felt like these little girls were growing up!

As I think about Cam as a five year old, one thing that stands out is that she isn't shy about showing how she feels - happy, excited, sad, hurt. Rarely would I even describe her as "shy". She shows her emotions, but is also pretty aware of how other people are feeling, too. She has a lot of empathy, and can be a perfect hug and cuddle buddy. Cam is excited about starting Kindergarten next year. Seeing Taylor more often during the school day will be fun for both of them. Camryn always wants to know what her big sister is up to, and I am so happy they will be with each other at Woodbridge. Camryn has a big heart, and her relationship with those around her is important to her - I am so hopeful she makes some wonderful friends next year.

Updated to add: Camryn had her 5 year, well-child appointment - and it went well!
Cam's stats as a five year old:
Height: 43 1/2 inches (70th percentile)
Weight: 46lb (75th percentile)

For comparison, here are Taylor's :)
Height - 43 1/4 inches (65th percentile)
Weight - 40.4 lb (50th percentile)

Happy birthday, big kid! Here's hoping for an awesome, healthy year ahead!!

Flying home....

Friday, April 7

Alarms went off at 5:30am Friday morning. Our flight was leaving Tampa at 8:50am, and we wanted to be on the road a little after 6am. Hard to leave our little cottage!

The drive back to Tampa, with the sunrise, was really gorgeous. So pretty.

After getting our bags checked and going through security, we got some breakfast at Starbucks to eat at our gate.
Two little sweeties :)

The girls rode next to Mem on the flight out of Tampa, and I was across the aisle. She had a couple of things for them to do during the flight, and the puzzles were a big hit. The flight went really smoothly, and before we knew it, we were in Chicago!

When we got to Chicago, we found out that our flight to Grand Rapids, that was supposed to leave around noon, was delayed until 2:30. We decided on a more relaxed, sit-down, lunch option to take up some time. At the point that we finished lunch, we split up a bit. I was going to take tired kids to our gate, and Mem was going in search of some more fruit snacks to help with the ear pressure on the next flight. We passed by a departures screen, and saw that our flight time had been moved up, by two hours, leaving at 12:30 (and it was 12:17 at the time!!!), AND it had moved from Concourse C, where we currently were standing, to Concourse L! Cue the panic! I had to set Camryn down and get her to wake up a bit, frantically called Mem, and the girls and I jogged our way through the airport to try to find our new gate in time. We made it....and found that we weren't the only ones rushing up to the gate! :)

By the time we got on the flight, Camryn was pretty tired. It had been a busy day so far!

The flight was only 28 minutes long, and we could see Lake Michigan almost the whole way. Before we knew it, we were back in Grand Rapids. Almost home. :) Ryan picked us up, and the girls squealed when we saw him after going through security. :)

It was such a fun trip...and I can't wait to plan our next adventure! :D