.: Jackson's 9th Birthday Party...

On Saturday, we celebrated Jackson's 9th birthday! HOW did that happen SO FAST?!?!

NINE...I am half way there...in 9 more years he will be a senior in college and will be in his last semeseter of high school ~ and I will have an empty nest! I am sure that the next 9 years will fly by as fast as the first 9...and as sad as that makes me...I would not change it for the world. I LOVE the ages my children are!!! They are SO much fun and so independant. They are growing and developing into little members of society and I could not be prouder of them!

Anway...back to the party!

We were planning on 5-6 friends coming over...and then EVERYONE said that they could come...and MD asked a few of her friends...and we had 17 kids total! It was a BLAST and they were ALL so sweet!!!

They came home with us after the basketball game...it took 3 cars but we got everyone here in one piece!

I have come a LONG way in party planning...we have had ELABORATE parties ~ like a cirus party complete with a real tiger, clown, cotton candy machine, bounce house, etc...

Not anymore...

I am much too old, too tired and too tight with my moo-lah for extravagance! This was an old fashioned party...come over and entertain yourselves kids...and they loved it!

Some ate pizza while other were jumping on the trampoline...some were at the tree house...some shot basketball...but after an hour of so everyone had eaten and we were ready for cupcakes...

We had cupcakes and opened gifts ~ the children could not have been sweeter!

Then we loaded up and took them to the sand piles...Jackson's request...

ANY child who has ever been to the piles with us BEGS to go back...they had a BLAST...well all but about 2 who didn't care to be dirty! ;)

They managed to get in the mud, too!

Jackson was SO SO SO excited Ty got to come! He has missed him so much since Ty changed schools! I am still praying that Jackson will find a new best buddy to hang out with to help fill Ty's spot!

After they plaed for about an hour or so we loaded them up 5 at a time and Dalton hosed them off!

dirty kids are the best....

Another load headed to get cleaned up...we had to ATTEMPT to get them presentable before their parents came!

After everyone got picked up we came home and showered and then Jackson got to pick where we went for dinner ~ He picked Hoagie Joe's ~ Whitney Sue spent the night with MD and went with us...

he is SMITTEN with Whitney Sue I might add...it sure is nice when you have a older sister with cute friends! ;) Seriously ~ We LOVE WS and she is welcome to go anywhere with us anytime!