Happy 3rd to Gemma!

September 1st was Gemma's 3rd birthday!! And what a wonderful day it was!

The 1st was the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, so we really enjoyed have a long weekend together as a family and extending the birthday celebrations, as we love to do (like getting to see the hot-air balloons, from previous post). 

This year Gemma was very much looking forward to her birthday, and had requested cake (either pink or "ballet"), ice cream, balloons (but no balloon game, that is too loud and "a bit scared"), birthday hats, and lots of friends and cousins. We couldn't provide as many cousins & friends as last year's party when we were visiting Granddad and Nonna in Wheaton - but we did have two friends over and plenty of presents and cake to go around!

The night before her brithday, we let Gemma open one present (maybe this will be a new tradition?); she opened a gift bag of clothes sent from Nonna! (As you can see...Gemma loves to wear her leotards...)

Birthday breakfast! And Gemma got to open some presents from her Mom & Dad, and all her birthday cards sent from family. (Gemma selected & arranged her 'crown' headband - a necklace - as her birthday girl attire.)

On Sunday afternoon (after morning church), Gemma helped frost the chocolate cake. I mean, eat the frosting off the beater. (I'll be honest, we were uncertain about high-altitude baking for the first time - don't want the birthday cake to fall flat! - so we just did a box cake mix with some extra cocoa thrown in for richness.)

Friends arrive: Karen and Miriam! Amazingly, it turns out that they live just one neighborhood over from us!! Miriam (on the right, holding Timo, below) was a student of mine and a soccer player at BFA when we were there in '02-'04, and we were pretty close at that time. When we moved to Colorado Springs we didn't realize she was living here, so it was a total shock - and a joyful one - to find out that we are nearly neighbors. She and Karen were wonderful to have at the party and were very energetic with the kids and playing with Gemma's new toys. We are looking forward to many more times together (like some trail walks such as we have already done with Miriam and her dog, Bristol).

Opening presents! While sitting in her new Dora chair from Nonna!

the new jump-rope! A huge hit!

Meanwhile Timo delighted us all with pushing his little cart around the living room (and then yelling and banging it when he ran into a wall or couch). He is very proud.

 

Time for cake! And an attempt at a family pic. Hmm. Gemma did great this year and blew out her candles very precisely. (A big improvement over her 2nd birthday, when she didn't even know how to blow. Whoops.) Happy, happy, happy birthday to Gemma!

Our little lefty loves her cake!