when she turned seven

since i haven't posted since ella's birthday, i will just stay on the subject.
last year she was dying to have a sleepover,
so i allowed her to have a few of her close friends stay the night.
her best friend got a fever the day of her party and was not able to make it :(

i had bought these build a bear kits at costco long before her birthday.
you make a smaller size bear yourself!!...i thought that would be so fun to do with the girls.

and each kit came with four different animals, so each of the girls made a different one.

we started out by turning the animals inside out and hand stitching them.
there were pre-poked holes, so the girls used a plastic needle to make the stitches.

my mom just happened to stop by as we were doing our sewing.

what a blessing, she was able to help some of the girls (i was helping them too).

although it was pretty easy, sometimes something would get tangled -

and it was just great to have an extra pair of hands there to help work out the kinks.

why didn't i think of that before?  

well, God sent her my way to help me out...

next was the fun part...stuffing the bears!
we turned them right side out and stuffed them and of course the kits came with the little
hearts to make a wish and put inside the bear.

the playdoh was to keep john john entertained!

i finished up sewing the bottom of the bears while the girls had a little dance party.
to some taylor swift...

i allowed just a bit of the on the couch moves, not too much...

they were having so much fun singing and dancing.

after dinner they were so excited to run and get their pj's on together.
here they are with their finished bears...

i believe they watched high school musical.
i'll have to double check that one with ella.

then it was time for singing and dessert...

they loved taking those bears with them everywhere.

the bears came an with an outfit &shoes, & a little birth certificate that we typed up the next morn.

oh and stickers, a crown and a button - a complete package they all got to take home.

next, they did some sparklers-

they had a lot of fun with them...

and before bed, ella was dying for them to try some seaweed.

some of them liked it, some of them didn't...but they all tried it!

my brothers had introduced the kids to seaweed a few months before ella's birthday.
she loved it so much, so they gave her several packages for her birthday.

and, they were super excited to brush their teeth together.
only when you're seven!

they had set their sleeping bags up earlier that afternoon, again so excited for the sleepover.

they slept on john's floor where there was enough room for them all.

breakfast the next morning, on her actual birthday...

uncle kevin (her godfather) called and asked if he could bring some donuts over.
um...you bet!

i love those heart ones they do in february...

i just had to include this picture since lady posed for it...she is too funny!

and so, it was a great birthday

and a very fun sleepover, with very sweet and giggly girls...

so maybe the fun memory will last for awhile and we will be good for some time.

because you know, once they get older then the fun becomes to stay up late -

didn't have that issue at this party, thank goodness!