Celebrating a birthday with family

Sunday we moved back into birthday party mode. In spite of the snow we were getting, we celebrated Alyssa's 8th birthday with all of her grandparents and her great-aunt (my Aunt Lyd is great about driving grandma Silves to the birthday parties). And, T-T and Paige showed up for a few minutes before heading off to a McPhail family birthday party.

Alyssa requested that I make a cake for her. She had her own ideas of how she wanted it decorated. I did my best to please her.
Our traditional birthday picture.
Grandpa and Grandma Scheib got Alyssa a scarf, glove and headband set. Little did they know, this was the exact set that Alyssa had asked me for one day at Old Navy but I forgot about it until she opened the gift. They also got her a wristlet purse...right up her alley!...and a set of play rings.
Jason and I had to give Alyssa her gift at the family party because there was a gift that she was getting from my mom that would have spoiled the surprise. By the look on her face, I don't think she minded opening ours before her actual birthday. We had saved our garage sale money from this summer to get her a DS. She was been wanting one for so long and has been such a good sport about waiting. Brenna has had one for awhile now, which she purchased herself with all of the birthday money and pet sitting money she had been saving.
My mom and Duane got her an Old Navy hooded sweatshirt, a book, Hannah Montana lip gloss and nail polish...oh no!...and a game for her new DS.
We quickly opened the other gifts, sang happy birthday, some grabbed a piece of cake to enjoy and then everyone headed for home. Thankfully, everyone made it home safe.

This is what the girls were doing as people were leaving.
Just before Mom and Duane left, which is why their truck is in the picture, I went out to take a picture of our house. The party started at 3:00 and this picture was taken at about 4:45. Now you know why people were in a little bit of a rush to get home.
We so appreciate the willingness of the grandparents to come and celebrate with us. We are so happy that the aunties decided to keep the cousins home safe while their husbands were at work. There will always be another birthday to celebrate.