My little girl turned 5 last week!  We decided to throw her a birthday party again this year and forgo the birthday party every other year rule for now because this is the prime age where they LOVE birthday parties.  With Aiden we are not throwing a birthday party until he’s 4 or 5, and then it’ll be every year until they turn 10.  Then it’ll be back to every other year.  You’re a kid only once and birthday parties get less fun as you get older, so might as well spoil them while they really enjoy it. 🙂 We don’t get them any birthday presents when they have a party but we purchased a ukulele for Ana a few months ago, before we decided to throw her a party, so that was her birthday present which she was so excited about.  She’s been asking us for one for almost a year.  

Then daddy came home for lunch and surprised us all with Waffle Love, Ana’s favorite. 

Ana helped me make chocolate covered strawberries for her class as her birthday treats.  She loved making them for her teachers for Valentine’s so she requested we make it again.

Then we got to have a sneak peek of the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, which has a grand opening on March 25th.  We’ve been annual members of the old Living Planet Aquarium for years and always loved going, but the new one is way bigger and even better!  

the kids loved the bridge, they went on it over and over again.

okay, I loved it too, not gonna lie.

this guy hand painted all the art at Loveland.  It was awesome to see him in the works.

My brother Jacob came into town for a few days, which happened to fall on Ana’s birthday!

Thank you Loveland Living Planet for letting us have a sneak peek, we can’t wait to go again!

Then we went on a spontaneous stop to Scheels.  Last spontaneous trip we went to was to Shoe Carnival 3 years ago.  We like to live wild and free if you can’t tell.

we rode on the Ferris wheel a couple times.  me and the birthday girl.

the girls got really into the backdrop photo shoots.

okay, I did too.  

no Jacob, no.  please just stop.

hahahaha, this picture cracks me up.  the girls look like they’re getting punished by holding the giant fish up above their heads and they look so sad and pissed off.  I promise they were happy and having fun, and made us take plethora of pictures of them with the fish.

then we went to Jang Soo Jang Korean restaurant for dinner and ordered a ton of delicious food.

My outfit: dot peplum top | blue jeans: romwe | ankle strap flats(for 20% off click here)

Then we sadly had to say goodbye to my brother.  I would like to brag about Jacob for a sec if that’s alright.  Not only is he intelligent and graduated from Harvard, he is hard working and one of the most honest, down to earth, spiritual people I know.  He is currently working for John Kerry, the secretary of State and when he travels for meetings, the government pays first class for all his flights, but he refuses to go first class and travels coach every time.  I asked him why and he said it’s because there’s no need for him to fly first class and he’d rather save the government’s money and coach is more than enough for him.  Isn’t he awesome?!  I love you Jacob, please come visit us again!

It was quiet hectic around Ana’s birthday so I didn’t have a chance to really let it sink in the night before her birthday that it was her last day as a 4 year old, and have my usual little melt down where I cry and cuddle and kiss her, and give her one last hug and kiss as my 4 year old.  So at 3 a.m on the day after her birthday, I sneaked into her bedroom and I held her and kissed her as tears streamed down my face.  She would never be a 4 year old again.  She is now a half a decade old.  She will be going to Kindergarten this year.  I cannot believe it.  My sweet, strong willed, determined, funny, silly, smart little 5 year old.  Mama loves you without end.  Thank you for being mine.