Claire's Third Birthday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Delwyn, Ryan, and I made a quick trip to Texas for a busy weekend. Claire is celebrating her third birthday today and Camille is being blessed tomorrow. We left Colorado Friday afternoon and spent the night in Dumas, Texas. We arrived at Austin's house at 2:00 pm, just in time for the birthday festivities! Here is the birthday girl, pretty in red ladybugs!

Claire's birthday present is a swing set. She is so excited to be able to swing in her own backyard! Lots of cousins are here to play with her today.

Claire loves to climb, and she was up the ladder and sliding down in just a few seconds.

I think she could swing all day!

Even Grandma Whitley had a turn on the swings!

And what is an afternoon Birthday party in Texas without water? A pool, water balloons, and squirt guns helped the kids stay cool.

Everyone in the pool!

I think Pierce is sneaking up on Austin! He is going to get wet!

Austin and Ryan had fun with the squirt guns.

Next we play games. This was pin on Minnie's ring. Claire was excited to be blindfolded and did a great job. 

Everyone likes to play.

Don't peak! 

Look at the birthday cake!

It's better to eat than to just look at it.

And the presents is the most fun!

Austin loves the squirters!! They are actually fruit snacks with juice in the middle.

Claire is excited about her new Minnie Mouse goggles. She call them "gobbles". She had a pair earlier in the summer and lost them at the pool. She has been so sad without them. Because it is the end of the summer, swimming items are hard to find, and Austin had to go to several stores to find these Minnie Mouse goggles that were just like her old pair. His perservance paid off and Claire is a happy girl!

And she really likes this play birthday cake. I think it was her favorite gift.

Now she can play birthday every day of the year. The candles and candies velcro onto the cake.

We LOVE to play games! Who win win this time? We gave Claire this Disney princess game of Candyland. We played it several times.

Last year Austin and Melissa planted watermelon in their garden. Melissa has a green thumb and they had a great harvest of carrots, green beans, and tomatoes, among other things. However, the watermelon didn't grow very well, and so this year they didn't include it in their garden. There must have been a left over seed that came up voluntarily, and they have this beautiful watermelon growing up the side of their house. I saw it in July when I was there for Camille's birth. It was really little then, but it has grown and grown! It has gotten so big and heavy Austin was afraid it would break and fall off the vine, and so he rigged up this tripod to hold a cooking pot for the watermelon to rest in. All the watermelon I have ever seen has been growing in a field on the ground, and I am so surprised to see it on a climbing vine. I wish I lived close enough to taste it when it is ripe because it looks like it is going to be a good one, and I love watermelon!

Ryan really likes being an Uncle.

And someone really likes being a Grandpa.

Camille is okay with Grandpa coming for a visit. She is such a happy baby.

I just like being around all the people.

Of course no trip to Texas is complete without a stop at Braum's! It is one of our favorite things about Texas. Cherry Limeade is my favorite flavor.

We went to the drive in twice, and had Braum's from the carton at Austin's house, so we were spoiled good!