Pursue the Dreams of 2016:

Happy New Year! So I have titled this post "Pursue the Dreams of 2016"! Sounds like I have these really amazing dreams I want to achieve, right? Honestly, I don't know if they are considered dreams. Just things I want to get done in 2016! If I am being totally honest, and a little naive (ha ha), I dreamed of being a background dancer for a famous superstar like Beyonce, Katy Perry, or Justin Timberlake, but I have come to accept reality that that just ain't happening. Obviously. When I was 13, I dreamed to be on Broadway. Well again, that's more than likely not going to happen. When I was 18, I dreamed to become a veterinarian. That dream did actually come true, but I am starting to realize it's not truly a passion of mine. I enjoy it, and it challenges me, but it's no longer my dream. As Joyce Meyer says "If that dream didn't work out, get yourself a new dream". It's not the veterinary medicine didn't work out, but I know I have other things I want to do too. So I asked myself as I was contemplating my New Year's Resolutions, what do I want to pursue in 2016? What resolutions do I have that would be fulfilling a passion of mine, and in turn make me a happier and more fruitful person.

I attempt to find ways to be constantly grateful. So as I was thinking on my resolutions, it occurred to me, aren't we fortunate even to be able to make New Year's Resolutions? We are so blessed in this country that many of us don't have to worry about meeting our basic needs. We have clean, potable water, shelter, as well as ready and available food and other commodities. Our daily physical needs are met, most of the time in abundance! Most people in America are given the luxury of striving for and attaining their spiritual, emotional, and self-fulfillment needs i.e. Maslow's theory of self-actualization. We have the time, energy, resources to explore self-actualization and work toward goal-oriented, personal potential. If you have ever read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair or Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, then you know living in survival-mode doesn't make much time for contemplating what your New Year's Resolutions are going to be, let alone what dreams you want to achieve. The only things these people dreamed about while working all day in the horrific environments of an unsanitary meatpacking plant and a Nazi concentration camp, respectively, was some rest, nourishment, and peace of mind. I am not afflicted by cancer, starving in Ethopia, or suffering in the hot spots of the AIDS epidemic. So even though our country and world may not be a utopian society, I am grateful that I don't live in those despairing and harsh circumstances. I happen to live in time and place where dreams, resolutions, personal potential, and fulfillment can be explored, sought, and achieved.

With that being said I have, gratefully, come up with my New Year's Resolutions:

1. Become a blogger

..ok I bet you are thinking "you already have a blog?". Well, I want to push myself to blog more; I want to write more; and more importantly I want to connect with people more. I want to be blogging consistently 6 days a week by the end of the year. A long time dream of mine (yes, a dream!) is to be a writer or even, I dare say, write a book! However, it takes time, practice, a niche, and a following! Blogging and doing my research on blogging, will help me move toward that pursuit. I also love the fact that people interact through blogging and you can build relationships, not just a business. My goal also encompasses moving towards a self-hosted blog i.e. a genuine".com".

2. Keep a daily journal.

Yes, that would essentially be like a blog, but this is something much more personal and requires writing with an actual pen or pencil. I started a prayer journal last year, I wrote in it every day. It may have been only a few sentences, but I wrote something. I want to continue that, but I want to also do it more in a memoir fashion. The goal is to write everyday or at the very least, weekly, a recount of the thoughts and events of my life. Recording special memories with my kids, frustrations with daily life, excitement over successes, and disappointment with failures. I am not scrapbooker like my mom. I been there and tried that, but I do enjoy to write. Especially when life with my kids is passing by so fast, and I want to savor and remember all the precious (and not so precious) moments. Do you keep a journal? Comment below and share your strategy for keeping and maintaining one, I would love to hear about it!

3. Be More Generous

Be more generous by joining a service ministry and participating in at least 3 charitable causes/events. Generosity is something I need to work on and not just by giving money to the local food bank. I have been given so much. I need to give back. I need to give back my time, talents, and energy for others. In 2015, we walked as a family for the St.Jude Give Thanks Walk, and Kora and I attended and helped with Lily's Tea Party which helped raise over $4000 for St.Jude's Children's Research Hospital toward Childhood Cancer Awareness. This was a huge undertaking by my amazing and beautiful mother. She put the fundraiser together for my niece and the St.Jude cause. I want to be more involved helping her with it this year. Lily was diagnosed with Lymphoma in 2014, and has been cancer free for a year! My brother is a quadriplegic, so contributing toward spinal cord injury research or helping him more are certainly ways I could help. There is so much more we could do!

At St.Jude Give Thanks Walk for my niece Lily's team

4. Paint 

For a decade, I focused on nothing but school, academia, and science/medicine while in college and veterinary school. I gave up a lot of things I enjoy doing like dancing, reading, and painting. I am so busy and it takes time to do these creative hobbies, but I thrive on it. I want to paint another painting this year. It was on my list last year, and I never got to it. I admit I am not great, and won't be the next Picasso or Van Gogh. But I enjoy it, and its a huge creative outlet and stress reliever.

Painted this years ago, and gave it to mother-in-law. Didn't say I was good, just that I enjoy it!

5. Read about the Saints.

As a practicing Catholic, its a sort of pitiful that I don't know more about the lives of the Catholic Saints. I know bits and pieces of the lives of some of the more popular ones like Saint Theresa of Lisieux "the little flower" and St. Frances of Assisi, but nothing in depth to where I can really fully appreciate the pious attributes that canonized these people as extraordinary beings. They are people that exemplified faith, charity, good deeds, selflessness, hope, sacrificial love, and wisdom. Even if you aren't Catholic or religious by any means, there is so much to learn from the Saints about life and living it for a purpose with humility, peace, and gratitude. My New Year's resolution is to read about 2 saints a month either through a book, website, or a Catholic resource. In fact, I have a copy of the Story of a Soul which is St.Theresa's of Lisieux's famous memoir that I have never completed. Now just may be the time, and I feel I am in a place where I would appreciate her story more. Who is your favorite saint or one that most inspires you?

A picture of St.Theresa "The Little Flower"

6. Get More Organized

I am organized, and then I am not. I keep my home well organized, my closet, my car. I know where things are filed, folded, and stored. But my life is not always managed and organized as it should be. I am kind of all over the place. My mother-in-law is one of the most organized people I have ever met in my life. She seems to have it together all the time. Her pantry is pinterest-inpiring because she has these neat labels and baskets to keep it all organized. When Dusty and I got married, I was baffled by her notebook and folder with all the important information for the wedding filed and ready to go. I can be absent-minded sometimes, and this doesn't make for me remembering to do things. I have kind of always kept a to-do list on a scratch piece of paper. But with having kids now and life just staying busy, I am determined to get more life-oriented organized. So I picked me up one of these planners at Mistletoe Market to help me. I also use the app "Keep" to jot down reminders. So far the "Keep" app has been very helpful, but like my journal resolution, I just like to write stuff down sometimes. So I got a planner and plan to use it....hopefully!

A Faithful Mom 2016 Planner. Check out www.afaithfulmom.com

7. Continue and/or start a collection

My only current collections consist of about 50 pitiable-looking nutcrackers and Christmas tree ornaments. My nutcrackers are badly falling apart because they are getting old and sit in an 100+ degree attic during the year except for the month of December. Some are missing noses, a beard, a foot, or a sword/staff. Its sad, but its the nature of a collection getting old. I adore my nutcracker collection because they are from my childhood and will always be cherished, but the collection stopped after I graduated from high school. I also love to collect Christmas ornaments from my travels or special occasions. Anytime we visit a new place or enjoy a special event where they have Christmas ornaments for sale, I usually pick one up. I was intrigued in The Happiness Project how Rubin (loved this book by the way) explains that a collection offers a boost in happiness. If the collection is practical, doesn't take up a lot of space, and isn't financially restrictive:

"A collection provides a mission, a reason to visit new places, the excitement of the chase, a field of expertise (no matter how trivial), and, often, a bond with other people"-Gretchen Rubin.

This is just about half of them!

I don't know what a new collection will be yet, but I think the process of figuring it out and starting to acquire the first pieces will be fun. My husband loves looking at and collecting artwork. We only have few paintings by local artists, but we collected them together. We bought them together; we both adore them; and they stay in our home as sweet reminders of our special time together in pursuit of the artwork. So I guess you could say we collect art, and I may just make the time with him to find another painting this year to add to it. Do you have a special collection? Comment below!

Our first date weekend in NOLA after having Kaleb, we bought our first painting in Jackson Square

8. Start a book club.

I am a reader, I love books. I keep an updated library card for crying out loud! I find myself watching less and less television and no longer quite as entertained by many shows. I like movies and often feel I watch the same ones over and over. But hands down I would rather throw myself into a book. Fiction, non-fiction, self-help, spiritual, historical, whatever! The quiet absorption into a book that is stimulating, entertaining, or provides insight and knowledge is my idea of good time. Call me boring, but that's me. I would love to share this passion of mine with other like-minded readers, and have always wanted to do a book club. I have attempted to start this by forming a private Facebook group called "Be Better, Be Happy in 2016" which is a starting point for a quasi-book club via a social media platform. Although I would love to have face-to-face meetings, life can be crazy busy so those are not always possible. This group will start with self-improvement books, but could really morph into anything interesting we want to read together. I am starting the group off with Gretchen Rubin's Better than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everday Lives which I thought appropriate for the start of a new year! Many of us have new habits we would like to start and maintain, and New Year's Resolutions to fulfill. This book will help with mastering those new habits and resolutions. If you want to start a book club, join "Be Better, Be Happy", or have any ideas, please comment below and let me know!

9. Bonus Resolution: Give up Sweets!

This is the bonus resolution. The one I really don't quite expect to achieve, but its nice to think (dream) I could actually do it. Now there are conditions to this resolution. I am not talking about carbs/low carb/paleo dieting, I am talking about super-stimulating sweets like cakes, cookies, pies, candy, ice cream, etc. You get the picture. The only thing I will allow myself on occasion is dark chocolate, ONLY because its so good for me mentally and physically it would be almost irresponsible of me not to allow myself dark chocolate here and there! I have a major sweet tooth, that often gets me in big trouble. Once I allow myself sweets its all down hill. If I can avoid sweets, except dark chocolate, for a year, then I literally could do just about anything in this world. I am also curious just to see how long I can go. I will take bets now!?


So I have 8 New Year's Resolutions (plus my bonus)! That's quite a bit, and I don't know that I will truly resolve in completing them all. However, I think it's the pursuit that is the fulfilling part. The chase is what's exciting! The saying goes to "keep your eyes on the prize", but I am saying "keep your hearts in the pursuit, and enjoy the process"! I will let you know how things turn out! Happy New Year's!

Gratefully,
Diana

525,600 minutes...how do you measure the moments so dear!

As the year 2015 comes to an end, I usually take the time that I am off work to clean, organize, and declutter my home. I notice that as I do this, it becomes somewhat an emotional task as I think back on the past year. While working around the house, I usually will play a movie or some music that really just serves as background noise. But on Tuesday of this week, I streamed the musical movie Rent off Netflix because I hadn't seen it in ages. I had at one time knew the music really well, so I thought it would be good to play while working and I could sing along. As soon as the song "Seasons of Love" came on with the lyrics "525,600 minutes....", I kind of stopped dead in my tracks and just listened!

525,600 minutes, 525,600 moments so dear. 525,600 minutes - how do you measure,

measure a year? In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee. In

inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife. In 525,600 minutes - how do you

measure a year in the life?

How about love? How about love? How about love? Measure in love. Seasons of

love.  

Oh so many moments so dear! Especially with my family, friends, and loved ones, and to record them here would make for a very long blog post, which I still may do like my sister did on her blog. A beautiful post on the past year. See Reflection on 2015. I had set New Year's Resolutions like most people, but honestly like more than half of society I did not uphold them well at all the first 5 months of the year. However, over the summer, many things changed. I started to crank the motions in gear and picked up momentum! Here were my main 2015 resolutions. I did actually manage to implement most of my resolutions, although it took time and simply making an affirmative decision to get started.

1.Practice gratitude! I have tried to make it a point everyday to give thanks to God for the things in my life. If you read Steven Covey's 12 Habits of Happy People, or Matthew Kelly's Prayer Process. They both start off with #1 as "Being Grateful". That is what lead me to create "Gratefully Healthy". People who practice gratitude are generally more content, and more happy regardless of the circumstances that may come their way. I think sometimes "Oh I wish we had a bigger, finer home with more space and better kitchen appliances!". But then I think back. I grew up in a 1300 square foot house and shared a room with my sister for years. I don't recall having a troubled or deprived childhood. I don't remember feeling like we needed a fancier fridge. Would my kids really care? I didn't as a child. I had a wonderful childhood with supportive and loving parents. I don't remember ever feeling like I needed a better or bigger house. I was happy and loved, and more importantly I knew it. I should be extremely grateful for that! So I started a prayer journal this year utilizing the The Word Among Us daily journal. This journal had just enough space for a daily entry to reflect on what I was grateful for in my life. Everyday I wrote some form of "thank you for this new day!" and then mentioned one or two things, people, experience, etc that I was grateful for. I looked back at some of my entries at the beginning of the year. I amazed how much I have grown in the last year in gratitude. The main part of the growth was really consistency and the depth of the gratitude. It was at first for very general things...my family, my health, my job. Then my gratitude evolved into very specific and unique things like "thank you for that I was able to calm down to have that much-needed conversation with my husband" or "thank you for helping me find my lost keys". As Grethcen Rubins remarks in her book The Happiness Project "an atomosphere of growth" is very important contributor to happiness. By daily reflection I feel I have grown more grateful, and this, I believe, has made me happier. Love your life!

2. Commit to a Prayer "Power Hour". Prayer is truly my place of refuge, comfort, peace, clarity, and restoration. I grew up a cradle Catholic, and my upbringing did foster a prayerful lifestyle. But I will say that over the years, Catholicism is not just a ritualistic, church-going, religious habit. It defines me and I am not ashamed to say it. I started praying daily when I was in high school, and have never stopped. I try to get in at least 10-20 minutes a day. In 2015, I wanted to commit to an hour of perpetual adoration at St.Mark's chapel. It was slow going trying to find a suitable time, but finally I settled on Tuesday nights at 8pm. I started mid-summer, and it took a few weeks for me and my husband to get adapted to the schedule. At first, I would miss a week here and there because I would forget to go and lose track of the week. But then I told myself  "I committed to do this, you do it Diana!". I have been going weekly ever since! As hectic as life can be, you can only imagine what a full hour in quiet union with the Lord can do to restore your faith and peace. Some Tuesdays I think to myself "I just don't feel like getting out again today and going....I am too tired....I have too much to do around the house". But then when I leave the chapel at 9pm or sometimes a few minutes later, I am so incredibly grateful that I went and spent that much needed time in prayer. Dusty will ask me "How was it tonight?" and my usual response is "Great and much needed!". What do I do during that time? I pray of course, but I also may read a spiritual book or a Catholic book to better understand my religion, say the rosary, write in my prayer journal, sit there, and admittedly fall asleep sometimes (sorry, its true) the late time of day, quiet, and peace just form the perfect soporific surroundings. Its a power hour that has brought me much peace and contentment. Love the Lord!

3. Exercise Regularly. I have always been active, and I have always tried to keep up an exercise routine. After I had my two children,  I had had a major setback exercising consistently. I wanted to resume a routine, but I couldn't figure out how. So what did I do.....I went to the library! The library...are you thinking "What did you do, run laps around the stacks? Umm, don't you mean the gym?". Nope I went and checked out books on yoga/Pilates/strength training, health and wellness, and personal development books. I needed to not only get focused on my physical, but the mental health as well. I wanted to discover how to workout at home effectively, learn yoga poses, and do Pilates exercises, but I also needed to get the right frame of mind. I started doing Pinterest plank challenges and circuit workouts, walking the kids in a their wagon up and down our subdivision, walking around LSU's campus, setting a 20-30 minute timer to make sure I did exercise that long. These methods worked temporarily, and I gradually was moving more! Although they weren't quite establishing that routine. I also looked into gym memberships and exercise classes, but working, commuting, and taking care of my two young kids just didn't allow much time to go to the gym. I was contacted (which I believe was truly divine intervention!) by a veterinary classmate of mine to join a Beachbody accountability group. It took me a while to finally commit, but it was literally the BEST decision I ever made. It has changed my life. I finally exercise just about everyday and have been consistently doing so for 7 months with the motivation and inspiration from these accountability groups. I workout in the mornings because I am a true lark! Mornings are when I am most productive and at my best.  I usually don't get much more time than 30-40 minutes. So the Beachbody programs, like T25, Cize, and especially the 21 Day Fix were PERFECT for me. I could stay at home and get it done. Within a couple of weeks I was feeling SO much better. I am still doing the groups and exercising daily! I may have a rest day here and there, but the overall process is still intact. I knew I needed it, not for weight loss, but for overall health and well-being. I truly believe in these programs and what they offer people that commit to them. That's why I became a Beachbody coach. I wanted to share with others something that I really struggled with and God brought about a solution. Love to take care of yourself!

4. Build relationships. I realized also I was a Facebook junkie.....oh no! How could I waste so much time on social media!? But honestly, I love connecting with people. Facebook, Instagram, twitter may certainly have its downside; however, I have reconnected with friends from high school, college, my sorority, veterinary school, my hometown....all through these social media platforms. I think if used properly, its a gift! I work in a very isolated environment, and follow the same routine almost everyday.....so in a way social media provides stimulation, novelty, camaraderie, and entertainment. My kids are also still young and not yet involved in sports, dance, cheer, gym, etc....so I don't get to interact with other "soccer moms" right now either. That is what Facebook and my monthly online health and fitness accountability groups have done for me. Life is about building relationships, fostering friendships, and enjoying the presence of others. I have tried to appreciate that and work substantially on connecting with people, and I hope to continue to do so in 2016 with my blog. Love others!

5. Worrying Less! As I strived to be more grateful, pray more, exercise more, build and foster relationships....I found I was worrying less and less. I think this came about because I was growing more confident in myself, building meaningful relationships, fostering good healthy habits, and really no longer forcing myself to needlessly worry over stuff that really was trivial matters or just completely out of my hands. I didn't need to fret over everything. In the end, things work out as they should. I knew I needed to be more flexible, relaxed, and adaptable. Its still a work in progress for me not to worry. Especially as a mother, it seems we have an innate calling to worry!  But really, I started thinking "Its sinful to worry". What good does it do? It won't change any situation's outcome. All it will do is waste time and energy. It's like the saying goes "worry is like a rocking chair...always in motion, but never getting anywhere". Yes, I am not nearly as bad I use to be. I can remember having so much anxiety and worry while in veterinary school that I would hyperventilate! That stressor is finally gone, but I also am a different person than I was 5 years ago. With age comes at least some wisdom, and I am learning not to sweat the small stuff and just try to enjoy the ride. As I grow more grateful, confident, and less stressed, I find that many insecurities that would plague my mind and emotional health have dissolved considerably. The idea that I have to perfect at everything no longer disillusions me, and I just try to be who I am now. Love contentment and peace!

6. Start a blog. And so here it is. A year ago I told myself that I would start a blog because well frankly I just like to write! Writing relaxes me and it challenges me. Its a creative outlet, and technical knack. I started my blog "Gratefully Healthy" back in June and have not been very consistent with it. Mainly because of time constraints, but also still wondering what my blog was truly going to be about. I have done quite a bit of "soul-searching" on it these last several months, and I hope that it will help me deliver. Hopefully I will have 525,600 minutes to get it right and pursue the dream in 2016. Do what you Love!  Rent's Seasons of Love song

Happy New Year, and I will be sharing soon my 2016 resolutions!

Did you achieve your 2015 Resolutions??? Comment below, I would love to hear about it.

Quick disclaimer about RENT: Rent is a musical about impoverished young artists trying to survive and create a life in New York City's East Village under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. Its contains some potentially offensive and provocative language and topics, but the music is incredible and beautifully written, composed, and performed. I hope one could just for a moment appreciate the beauty of the art in lieu of stressing too much over the content i.e. don't watch it with your kids!

Gratefully,
Diana

I Always Say I Am Not Going Overboard......then I do!

And why that's ok with me to go a little overboard!

So I have been wanting for some time to write a blog about why I and, I think, others go a "tad" overboard for children's birthday parties. Remember the 1980's classic Ron Howard movie Parenthood with Steve Martin, Keanu Reeves, Mary Steenburgen, and Joaquin Phoenix (when he was a budding pre-teen)! In the birthday party scene for their oldest child, Kevin, who had emotional problems, the cowboy entertainer for the party didn't show. So Gil, Martin's character, transformed into Cowboy Dan! He had to put on his own hysterical cowboy act by chopping up a rug to serve as his chaps, wear a child size cowboy hat, and attempt to make balloon animals. What's the message!? As a parent you are going to do whatever you have to do to make your child smile, have fun on his birthday, and be the one that makes the memories for them. Even it seems silly, ridiculous, expensive, impractical, or superfluous.

I went a little further than what I always intend to or plan because those were my reasons. It wasn't because I wanted to win Facebook's Super Impressive Mom of the Year and show my friends and family how incredibly creative I could be. It also certainly was NOT to make other parents feel bad by not throwing an elaborate, Pinterest-inspired party; and that they were somehow doing their child an injustice in this world by not. Hey, its all about different strokes for different folks, I totally get it. I went a "tad" overboard mainly for two big reasons....

One, I wanted to outwardly demonstrate my excitement that I have a healthy, happy child that is another year older. Yes I may get frustrated with them from time to time, and Lord knows I need more patience. But my child is not suffering from a physical or mental abnormality. My children are not debilitated from cancer, disease, illness, impairment, or a disability (except the daycare sniffles from time to time, right). They have fully formed and functioning arms, legs, eyes, ears, hearts, lungs, and so much more. They bring me joy, happiness, love, and fulfillment. I want to celebrate that and if buying extra craft supplies, decor, and party food trays is a small way I can do that......then by all means. I am celebrating a day my child gets to live another day happy, healthy, and whole.

Second, I spent 8 years of my life so focused while in college and used primarily the left side of my brain. Translation.....being logical, analytical, and objective to study biology, biochemistry, physiology, anatomy and so on. This was all I knew for that period of time. I did nothing but study.  In veterinary school, I came home from classes just to open the book up again and get studying. So needless to say the right side of my brain, the creative side, was shrinking. I remember the first time reading a leisure book after graduating from school, it was a Nicholas Sparks book if I recall correctly. A guilty pleasure I had not had in 4 years. So I say all this to drive home the point that party planning was also a major creative outlet for me. Designing photo collages, banners, games, party decor, favors, and food labels to name a few got my creative juices bubbling. I use to paint with acrylics a good bit too. I did do that on occasion after veterinary school, but once I had my babies and my extra room to paint in became a nursery, there was hardly anytime for that hobby too. So I really enjoyed this opportunity for personalizing my child's birthday party and having fun with it.

I know my children will not truly remember their parties, and perhaps it was a stressful thing to plan, prepare, and pull off. But they will see the pictures from it, I have the memories, and I can share it all with them. My hope is that they will look back and appreciate that I was so excited to celebrate the mark of their birth in this world. They will look back at the pictures from their party and realize that I was so grateful for the love and joy they have brought me that I dressed up like a cow, created pigs out of pink balloons, looked up tea party games to play, made mickey mouse ear party hats, and even made a Toodles from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. So while it may seem silly, and "more for the parent than the kid" kind of thing. Well that may be true, it is silly. Don't we need to be from time to time! I have been serious way too long! Now I kind of realize life is too short to be so dang serious all the time. I want to throw a silly party with ridiculous decorations and make my kid laugh at me a little. It may very well have been more for me than for them in some ways, but it wasn't to have that Pinterest-inspired Party Planning award. It was to say its my child's birthday, and I am thrilled to celebrate it! Also if you are a parent and have not seen the Parenthood movie or the NBC tv series than you need to! They vividly, but beautifully show the stories of their characters dealing with real-life parenting issues. The successes, struggles, heartache, joy and much more! So just to share some of those special projects and moments with you all, and maybe give you some ideas to have fun with too!

Kaleb's 2nd Birthday was "Barnyard Birthday" because he was really starting to love animals!

Hubby made out of cardboard, paint, and white tape. Grand total $3 for paint.

My pig balloon

Hard to see, but photo collage of Kaleb with animals at the zoo, livestock show, and pumpkin patch. 

Kora's First Birthday Party was a very refined and feminine "Tea Party"

What's a tea party without scones, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, and chocolates!

Watch me grow banner with monthly milestones 

Have to have petit fours and rose cupcakes too!

Note sure she looks very refined here, but still a cutie.

Coloring pages and make your own tea party necklaces

Place the cup to catch the tea, a more sophisticated "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" game

"Mom where's the cake already?!?"

"And that's all for me!!"

"Just give it me, who needs a cup!"

Kaleb's 3rd Birthday Party "Kaleb's Clubhouse" because he loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse!

Photo Collage from 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Birthdays!

I found these party labels free online!

Toodles was made out of foam board and foam sheets.

Games included tools provided by Toodles. 

Enjoy your kids birthdays, it doesn't have to be in the form of a party. Take them to the zoo, see a movie and bring them to their favorite restaurant, go bowling, go to a park for a picnic or camping and hiking, or bring them to a great science museum. Whatever your kids are in to doing and enjoy, make the day of it! Its a blessing to celebrate another year of their life. Go be that crazy cowboy Dan! I had fun with these, but I think next year we will do something different to spice it up a bit. And maybe let some professionals handle it.....the real cowboy entertainers....hello Jump-N-Jive or Bambinos Playtorium! ;)

Gratefully,
Diana