Four

Shelby's fourth birthday was a three day affair. I don't know how she pulled that off!

DAY 1...

Shelby said one day that she wanted to have a pet fish and she wanted to name her Goldie. I asked if that's what she wanted for her birthday and she said yes. 

Meet Goldie, the newest member of our family.

So the day before her birthday she got to open an early gift - an empty fish bowl. Then we went to the store to find a good friend to fill the empty bowl. She picked the cutest little Betta to be her Goldie. She also picked rainbow rocks for the bottom and, yes - Spongebob Squarepants to keep Goldie company. Her Uncle Taylor is going to be thrilled!

DAY 2...

Sunday, July 7 was her actual birthday. Happy fourth, Shelby!

She wore a new dress to church and completed the ensemble with a party hat when we got home. Cameron decorated it for her - aww!

We're singing "Happy Birthday" and she's humming along.

Shelby stayed consistent with her unique cake requests - this year she asked for raspberry and blueberry cake. Luckily Tom is familiar with a berry cake at Porto's, a delicious bakery. He drove all the way to Burbank for this cake. And it was worth it.

Make a wish!

The writing was chocolate sauce on a white chocolate base. She ate the whole thing!

Mmm...tasty!

She got a new outfit from Grandma and Grandpa and wanted to do a fashion show. She also wanted to play her Snoopy card game, so she had props. I love that this photo caught her mid-twirl!

And because no birthday is complete without a photo of a younger sibling crying (mine rarely were - sorry sister!), here's a shot of little brother. He and Shelby had just collided during a fashion show and he wasn't too pleased.

 

DAY 3...

Today was Shelby's birthday party. Fun stuff!

I hadn't intended to do a four year old birthday party, but then we moved. I figure this was a great chance for Shelby to bond with friends, some new and some familiar, and she had a great time doing it.

 We went to a splash pad to play and it was perfect for a summer birthday. The weather was gorgeous - not too hot but warm enough that a spray from the fountains felt super refreshing.

Cameron had some adoring fans...

Duck and cover - Cameron can reach the squirt guns!

Soaked! Time to warm up.

Claire helped Shelby get dry and keep cozy.

Julia, Alice, Jackson, and Lincoln wrapped up like burritos!

We sang "Happy Birthday" and had cupcakes in ice cream cones.

Cameron wore his cupcake a little bit...

 

There are two playgrounds near the splash pad. Shelby and Nash loved the echo in the tunnel.

 

Cameron loved the slide (and I think Tom loved it even more!)

 

It was incredibly touching to see people come out to celebrate Shelby's birthday. Some are friends that we haven't known for very long and yet they've shown us so much love already. Some are friends we've known for years who never fail to travel lots of miles to meet up with us. It's fantastic to be surrounded by these amazing families. I hope they had a fun day!

We hope Shelby enjoyed turning four! I know I enjoyed it!