The Birthday Games...

The kids had a ton of fun at Ryder's birthday party, eating, playing games, and running around like the "crazed kids on sugar" that they were.

Here are a few pictures of the good times:

Brice and I cut out and painted a couple of beanbag toss game boards which the kids had a blast with.

Ryder took the first shwack at the Pinata; but didn't break it open.

When it came time for Landin to take his shwack at the Pinata he bust the thing wide open!

All of the kids (and some of the parents) took a turn bouncing on the trampoline.

And our neighbor led her horse George around the party giving kids rides.

The John Deere Birthday Cake

It's tradition at our house that I make a special birthday cake for the kids the night before their party. I don't start it until after they go to bed, so it's always a big surprise when they wake up in the morning.

This usually entails me staying up all night baking, making frosting, and decorating the cake, but it's always worth it in the end and well, now that the tradition is started it's just not something I can cancel out on.

This year's theme meant I would spend the night before Ryder's birthday party making a tractor shaped cake in John Deere Green and Yellow. And just so all that homemade cake and frosting doesn't go to waste (and there is enough to feed the masses) I added an extra farm-themed cake to accompany the tractor.

Here are some pictures of the finished product:

Needless to say, we all enjoyed the cake very much! YUM YUM!

Ryder's Very Own Tractor (Well, sort of)

To go along with his John Deere Birthday theme, we bought Ryder a kids ride-on John Deere Gator for his main birthday gift from the family.

Before Ryder woke up on Saturday, Brice and I decorated the house and got everything ready. Brice assembled the tractor a few days prior to the big day, and had the battery all charged-up so the tractor was ready for Ryder to hop in and drive the minute he saw it.

So Ryder comes downstairs and is wondering around the house in awe, exclaiming at each new thing he sees (the streamers, the cake, the treat boxes...).

I dress him in his new John Deere birthday T-Shirt and hat, and let him keep exploring the house... And then, he sees the tractor sitting in the front yard through the dining room window and his eyes go huge and he screams, "What is that!?"

"I don't know," I say, "you better go check it out." Ryder steps outside to eye his new toy... SQUEAL! He runs and hops right in, belts the seatbelt and is ready to take off. "How do you work this thing?"

Well, he figured it out really quick, and before we knew it he was taking off around the yard, speeding along. He came back and Mazzy hopped in the passenger seat to ride alongside Ryder.

"This is the best birthday ever," Ryder exclaimed.

Ryder's John Deere Birthday Party

On Saturday, we threw a big birthday party for Ryder's 4th Birthday. We invited all his little friends and their families to celebrate John Deere style with us at our house.

We decked the place out in Green and Yellow in preparation for the big event.

We stuffed super cool treat boxes for the kids with all kinds of neat John Deere themed loot!

We set the table for cake time and served up the kids hot dogs, corn on the cob, salad and chips. We even had a John Deere tractor Pinata for the kids to whack

(that was full of candy and toys)!

Who's the biggest John Deere fan in the world now?? RYDER IS!!

Future K-Fed and Brittany Spears

(Only cuter, cleaner, and not so messed-up!)

Ryder Gets Tattooed For His Birthday

Here is the pictorial saga of Ryder's 4th Birthday tattoo:

Upon arriving at the tatoo booth, Ryder selected a wicked arm band tat. Only, his arm was so tiny that the band fit around it two and a half times. "No worries," the tat artist said, "we can do half of it and we'll even charge you half price." It pays to be scrawny.

"This doesn't hurt at all, it tickles!"

But the arm band wasn't the end of it... Ryder spotted a pair of angel wings on the way out... so he was back in the chair for round two... (They do say tatoos are addictive)

With age comes patience... So it's a darn good thing Ryder aged-up today... yesterday he might not have been able to sit still for the whole process.

The finished product - Our Little Angel

Happy Birthday Ryder!

Pictures from Silverwood

Ryder and his little friend on the Roller Coaster

Landin driving the bumper boats while we pelted him with the water cannons.

Daddy and Mazlow in the water at the kids water park

Happy 4TH Birthday Ryder!

On August 4th our little daredevil Ryder turned FOUR! Happy Happy Birthday!!

I took the day off of work so the whole family could enjoy a day at our local theme park - Silverwood. We met up with some of Ryder's little friends for a day of water fun and rides.

We kept the plans a secrete, so Ryder had no idea what we were doing for his special day.

We started the morning by letting him pick anywhere he wanted to have a special birthday breakfast. And kids will be kids - the little guy picked McDonald's of all places. So off we were to McDonald's for a pancake breakfast.

When we pulled into the parking lot at Silverwood the look on Ryder's face was priceless. The high-pitched squeal that accompanied it was not. He was super excited since we've never been to Silverwood (but have to drive by it daily). He and Landin practically ran the whole way from the car to the entrance (having to double back repeatably to allow Brice and I to catch-up with Mazlow).

We started our Silverwood adventure at Boulder Beach, the water park portion of Silverwood, which totally rocks! The kids jumped right into the water and were splashing and sliding to their heart's content. After playing awhile in the kids section, Brice took the boys on some water slides, and then the whole family headed over to the "lazy river" where you can sit in an inner tube and lazily float around the park (They even have a float-yup bar serving mixed drinks for the adults).

We took a break after a few hours in the water park and headed back out to the car for a nice picnic in the adjoining park. After lunch it was coaster time! We re-entered the park and made a bee-line for the rides. Ryder rode the kids coaster like a champ (hands-up the whole time), and had a ton of fun driving the planes with his little girl friends.

Brice took Mazlow on one of the roller coasters, which Maz thought was pretty cool.

Landin stood in line forever (it seemed like) for a chance to drive the bumper boats. While he was riding, Brice and the kids and I put quarters in the water gun machines which allowed us to pelt Landin with water as he drove his boat. Good Times.

Overall it was an awesome way to spend Ryder's birthday, and the first in a long string of celebrations over the weekend.