Ella's 6th birthday party

We celebrated Ella's 6th birthday party this past weekend. We did things a little differently this year. Instead of having a small family party at our house we had her party at Pump It Up. 
Ella has been talking about having her party there since we attended a party for one of her preschool friends last February. A couple a months ago I booked her party and started planning. In the beginning, I was just going to have a party for her and her classmates. Since her birthday is so close to Christmas I just decided to invite family as well, because there isn't much time left to have another party just for family.
I had quite a bit of anxiety before the party, because only two classmates RSVP'd. I just assumed none of them were coming until I sent out an email and found out all of them were coming except a few. I started to get nervous, because I think we ended up having around 40 -50 people at the party. 
The day finally arrived, and Ella was WILD to say the least. She was so excited. I think the was most excited to sit in the "guest of honor" blow up chair. 

Before the party started all the kids had to watch a video and say "Happy Birthday" to Ella. Pretty sure Ella was not a fan of that, but she handled it all pretty well. 

There were kids running around everywhere. Her party was like a whirlwind to me. I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked to. I couldn't even hardly keep track of Ella most of the time. 

I had the brilliant idea of adding on the glow part of the party. All the kids received glow necklaces, and they turned on the glow lights. It was a little darker than I expected, but I think the kids enjoyed it. One little girl told me Ella's party was too short. 

Even the adults had fun!

Daredevil Autumn!

The party room was decorated in a "Power Rangers" theme just as Ella wanted it. I think it turned out pretty great!

Ella looks happy here, but I'm not sure how happy she was about being the center of attention. After everyone singing "Happy Birthday" she hightailed it out of that chair. 

This little guy was the youngest kid there, but he had the time of his life. He didn't have a nap before the party, but you would have never have known. It was so fun to watch him. He loved every minute. 

I am so thankful for all of Ella's classmates and their parents. It has been great getting to know everyone this school year. Ella has a great group of kids in her class. 

The party was a definite success! We are so thankful to our family and friends who came to the party. Ella is so lucky to have so many people who care about her. Can't believe we will have a six year old in less than two weeks!!

Thanksgiving and Polar Express 2014

Thanksgiving seems like a distant memory since the Holiday Season is in full swing! We had a great Thanksgiving. We switch back and forth each year so we only have to eat one meal, and it just makes it a little more relaxing. We spent Thanksgiving with Adam's family. His family is HUGE, and the little kids are starting to outnumber the adults. Every year someone is pregnant, I just didn't think this year it would be me. Oh well, we are just making the family even bigger then it already is. 

We ate lunch and visited for a little bit, and then we headed back to Evansville for the circus! Every year I say it's the last year for the circus, and every year we decide to go again. It is basically the same thing every year. Ella and Adam rode an elephant for the first time this year. I wish I could have done it too, but I just pictured myself falling off. I am a little more cautious when I'm pregnant. Maybe next year!

 My favorite part of the circus is always the elephants! We left shortly after the elephants. After three hours we were exhausted!

Friday morning we were up bright and early to head to French Lick for the Polar Express. I have said it before, and I will say it again. The Polar Express is the BEST way to kick off the holiday season. We already have our tickets for next year, and I can't wait. 
We decided to spend the night at the French Lick hotel this year, which was so nice. We usually drive home when it's dark, and everyone is tired. It was nice just to walk over to the train this year and walk back. 
We get a picture every year in front of the train. It's fun to look back and see how Ella has changed. 

2014

These two girls LOVE to stay in a hotel, and they especially love to stay in a hotel together. 

These pictures below explain why they love staying in a hotel so much. :) 

The hotel had a banquet room set up for kids with bouncy houses, movies, and a magic show. It was awesome, and a great way to burn some time and energy. 

We were on the 7:30 train ride this year. It was fun as usual. I do have to add that the adults in our car did not get cookies like we have in years past. I seriously had been thinking about that cookie all day. It's just part of the experience. My heart dropped when the "elf" gave the girls cookies and went about her merry way. Talk about one disappointed pregnant girl! 

The Polar Express is a magical, fun experience for the kids and the adults. I love to see how much fun Ella and my niece have. This was our fourth year doing this, and it seriously never gets old. 

The following morning we hit the pool as soon as we got up. Ella has to make the most of her hotel stay, and she had to go swimming. They ended up being in the pool for almost two hours. After that we packed up, ate breakfast, and headed out. It was another great weekend spent with family. I know we will all cherish these memories forever!