Katlin's 14th Birthday Amazing Race

Dan decided he wanted to do the Amazing Race theme for Katlin's party this year.  What we both didn't know when he decided this was Katlin was on Spring break and would be here all week,  Family all chipped in and and helped .  I think she was surprised.  We had it out at Sue's and it was a beautiful day.  Who would think it would be in the 80's on March 17th?    Here in Iowa anyway.
Connie took the first country Mexico and the task was to break a pinata (aka balloon)  to get their next clue.  Connor was Katlin's  teammate.  When she broke the balloon we stopped the clock and had a Mexican dip and chips.  Yummy.  

Cindy got into the spirit of things by wearing her Amazing Race T-shirt signed by Phil.  

From Mexico we traveled to Italy.  The task there was for each team member to kick a soccer ball (aka ping pong ball )in the goal .  Katlin got hers in right away but Connor struggled with his.   Our treat was meatballs in pizza sauce.

From Italy on to  Germany to the Kofroners Bar .  They had to bounce a quarter into a beer stein.  The one who made it didn't have to drink the green beer( aka punch with a shot of grapefruit juice and a gummy worm in the bottom).  The treat for Germany was bratwurst and green beer if you were unlucky.

Katlin lost!

  



Eiffel Tower



From Germany to France.  The task here was to knock down the Eiffel Tower with rubber bands.   Here our treat was cream puffs. 

From France to Ireland to kiss the Blarney Stone.  Never got a good pictures of this as they were too fast.  We had potato skins for Ireland.  Mary was suppose to do Ireland but wasn't back to strength after her surgery.   Look for the Blarney Stone on Connie's back porch soon.

From Ireland to China for China's favorite pass time Ping Pong. Dan was the Ping Pong master and every team tried to score a point against him.  Some did but not many. Here we had egg rolls and some kind of sauce. I have forgotten the name but it was pretty good. 

From China to Canada for some good fishing.  Jeanine was in charge of this.  I thought this would be one of the easier challenges but it proved to be the hardest.  Each team member had to catch 1 pike and one walleye.  Jeanine had picture of real fish with magnets on them and a magnet on the lure but Lake Caviar proved to be difficult to fish in.  We had fresh blueberry and strawberry muffins.  Jeanine said they could pick either  at  their cabin in Canada.  From here all teams rushed upstairs to the finish line and the time clock stopped. 

Here is Jeanine in Mexico

Here is Shane in Italy.  He had some difficulties also.

Here are the race results.  1st place went to Dan and Sue.  Second to Cindy and Connie. Third to Lloyd and I, fourth to Jeanine and Shane (the fishing tripped them up) and last to Katlin and Connor.After all five teams had competed the race we went to open gifts.

This is the quilt I gave Katlin.  I have been working on it for 14 years.  I traced her hand print every year and wrote some of the big events that happened that year. 

She was pretty quick at blowing out all those candles.  She wanted two cakes.  A pineapple upside down cake and a strawberry cake with white frosting.  I heard her wrong and she got a white cake with strawberry frosting.  It was good.

After cake and ice cream she wanted to ride.  Here she is with Belle.   Think she had a good birthday.

Kyann's 4th Birthday Jungle

 The theme for Kyann's birthday party this year was a jungle.  Cindy and Shane had really decorated  the place.  There were animals everywhere and palm trees and tiger balloons.  Really cute.

Instead of playing pin the tail on the donkey  we played tape the tail on the monkey. 

 Kyann was one of the few who even got close to the monkey.  Maybe because it was down at her eye level.  Most were on the walls around.    I found out I don't like to be blind folded and spun around.  I'm dizzy enough as it is. 

We all had jungle hats.  Here is Kyann in hers.

The cake was a snake and Cindy did a really good job on it.  Was really cute and quite yummy too.

This is a picture of all the party. 

I think one of her favorite presents (and she got a lot) was Sweet Pickles books.  My kids had them when they were little.  They feed right into her imagination. 

After presents we went out to the garage for a pinata.  Now a pinata is not really jungle themed but Kyann wanted one so she got one.   Tori had to help her get it open.  After everything was picked up  Dan would throw a piece of candy and have her pick it up.  Then he would throw another and she would get that one.  She never seamed to catch on that he was doing that.  Just kept picking them up.  It was pretty funny to watch.    Think she had a good party and is now a big four year old.

Drois Jean's Birthday

Went to Donnelson today to celebrate Doris Jean's birthday.  We were going to eat at a church in town that only serves meals on Friday but found out it was only every other Friday.  And this was not the one!    Jean served a really good lunch, chicken  & biscuits, spinach salad, pea salad, cranberry salad and frozen cherry nut Oreo desert.  Everything was very, very good.  We felt bad that  she had to cook when it was her party day but to make it up to her we let her win at dominoes. I wish.  It started to snow about noon and wondered if the roads would get bad but they were only wet and we made it home fine.  I had to pick Katlin up at Washington at 5:15 but by that time it had quit snowing.  Fun day!