Natalie's 5th Birthday

My little baby Natawee turned FIVE on Wednesday!! How did THAT happen??? She's so big now and it makes me a little sad, but I love to watch my kids grow up into people.

Here's a little walk through time:

Natalie's Birth (the only birthday Matt was ever home for)


This is not her 1st Birthday, but it's close to it
(Matt was in Basic Training for her 1st Birthday(


Natalie's 2nd Birthday(Matt deployed to Iraq in July, and came home for R&R in the end of September, but left back for Iraq on October 13th. . . the day before her birthday)


Natalie's 3rd Birthday(don't let the picture fool you! He was gone for her 3rd birthday too. He was on his way home from Iraq and got her on October 15th. So we celebrated a day late)


Natalie's 4th Birthday
(Daddy was on the Big Island for training on this birthday)


AANNDD...
NATALIE'S 5th BIRTHDAY(Daddy is in Iraq again)

Well, Wednesday was a "late start" day for the kids, so she didn't have preschool that day so we had all day to ourselves!! In the morning, while the other 3 were getting ready for school, her and Nathan were smelling those Mr. Sketch Smelly markers.... and here's her evidence,
THE MULTI-COLOR HITLER MUSTACHE

Very fun.
So after the kids all got on the bus for school, we did Natalie's hair and got ready to go to Wal Mart to get her birthday present. Here she is with her BIRTHDAY GIRL t shirt on, and her hair all crimped and pretty :o)

Then we went to Wal Mart and bought her a new BARBIE BIKE!! Her Dora bike had a good life, but it's time to retire Dora to Grandma's house for the younger cousins to ride.
Here's Nan riding her new bike through Wal Mart up to the checkout stands:
She got a new Littlest Pet Shop helmet with elbow and knee pads too!
I tried to talk her into a Barbie one, but she wanted the LPS one!

After we bought her bike we stopped at the Subway in Wal Mart for some lunch

And here she is at home, with all of her gear on, tires pumped up, and ready to ride!!It wasn't raining at that moment, so we took the opportunity to ride to the mailbox and back, and it was raining by the time we got back to the house.
Here she is riding back to the house:
Earlier, we went to the Dollar Tree and let her pick out a balloon and a birthday girl crown.
Here she is playing with her balloon:

After the kids got home, we let her open up the package Daddy sent for her birthday.

What is it??

It's NAUGHTY NATALIE!!!LOL!
Matt saw this TY Beanie Baby doll called "Naughty Natalie" and he had to send it to her.
I love how "naughty Natalie' has a bandanna and hoodie on!! LOLOLOL!!

Later, we went to McDonald's for dinner because it was McTeacher Night for a fundraiser for the kids' school. We had something to do that night, so we couldn't wait till the fundraiser actually started, but the kids still got to see their teachers and friends.
Here's Natalie with Naughty Natalie at McDonalds.
She LOVES this doll!
She even buckles it into her car seat with her!
---END OCTOBER 14th---

So, in our family, we like to drag birthdays out as long as we can, so we spread Natalie's birthday out all week. Here we are on Thursday celebrating Natalie's Birthday Dinner with friends from church at this restaurant that I've never been to near our house called "JR's Whistle Stop Family Fun Dining". I'd read online that it's a train theme, but honestly I expected more. We walked in and it was a quiet little restaurant and i saw NO KIDS! Oh well.... we brought in 4 kids, so we made it "family fun".

There was a little train that ran round the ceiling of the restaurant, and that was fun for the kids to see:
Here's Nan in front of the train going around:It was a fun birthday dinner!
---END OCTOBER 15th---


Last but not least, we had Natalie's party on Saturday!

I think the highlight of the party was Mario Kart for the Wii. We've had it forever, and I was letting the kids play it to keep them preoccupied while I got ready for the party, and they continued to play it after family got here, and then the FAMILY started playing too!! I convinced Jaylene to buy it for Christmas. Haha! Thanks Wii.

Anyhow, Saturday was not the best day for weather. We had stormy weather with LOTS of rain! I even heard thunder at one point! Matt caught me online that morning and I kept procrastinating making the cupcakes. And when I was finally ready to make them, the power went out!! Then Kenzie called me from her Robotics meeting and told me to come get her cuz the power was still out where she was. It came right back on at our house, but I went to get her, and then stopped at Safeway and bought a cake and some ice cream on the way home. Screw cupcakes! And then Nathan threw up right before the party so he had to be quarantined to my room during the party.

I don't even think you could call it a "party" as much as it was just a "get-together". No games, or anything like that, just family visiting and giving lots of hugs to Natalie.
Here's grandma Sylvia giving Natalie a birthday hug:
Nata love her gramma ♥

And here's Natalie showing Grandpa her princess chair that we got her

THE BIRTHDAY GIRL!!!

Then it was present time. I will spare you all of the pictures and just show you what she got.

Here's a fun game from Aunt Jeanelle

Here's the audience.
I like how I took a picture of Becky the same time she took a picture of me!
The other side of the audience

New pants!! JUST what she needed!
This girl is growing like a weed and Jeanelle bought her THREE new pairs of pants.
THIS pair SPARKLES!!

A beautiful birthday card from her bff cousin Makenna

When she opened this we said, "That's not gonna fit you Natalie!!"
this is from Grandma & Grandpa Fergy

But then she realized it was for her NEW DOLL from Grandma & Grandpa Fergy!!!
It looks just like her!

She was VERY excited when she opened her Barbie puppy washing toy from Grandma Sylvia!

And here's a Kenya doll that Gramma got her so she can do her hair.

A cute shirt Makenna picked out for Natalie!
And notice the headband she's wearing from Aunt Jaylene! LOVE it!

A WAY cute dress from Aunt Jaylene!!
Natalie LOVES dresses

She looks a little evil in this pic, but she was majorly excited.
She loves doggies in carriers. She always asks for one at the store!
Thanks Winters Family!!
Natalie's new puppy

That's a lotta LOOT for a little girl!!

Gramma & her babies

Natalie birthday cake
that I bought from Safeway and then spray painted it pink at home! LOL!

♪♫ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ♫♪
♫♪ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ♪♫
♪♫ HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR NATALIE ♫♪
♫♪ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ♪♫

Blow out the candles!!

Yay! Here's Natalie and her two puppies eating her cake.

Aunt Jeanelle & Natalie ♥

My family
back row: Mom, Jeanelle, Jaylene, Carsen
front row: Jax, Makenna, Natalie, Rylee

Then the party was over. Dick & Becky stayed till the evening so I could go to the adult session of my Stake Conference. I debated on going or not, but they talked me into it so I went.
And when I came home, this is how I found Natalie.
Sleepin like grandpa!!! So cute!

I'm going to beg the other pictures off of Becky and Jeanelle, so I can have some Spongebob pinata pictures!!

HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY NATALIE