Mackenzie's 4th Birthday party was a wonderful, special day! Is this picture "Cute As A Bug" or what?! After much contemplation, and changing her mind about 15 times, she decided on a Butterfly & Ladybug party! At the last minute, when we went to order the cake, she decided she wanted Tinkerbell on her cake....so, we went with it and it turned out great! I love having our family & friends over for things like this. We could not have asked for a more beautiful day! Pa & G-Ma rented a Princess Castle Moon Bounce, which was a big hit! We had the party from 2:00-4:00, mostly in the backyard! The guest list was: Mackenzie, Momma, Daddy, Madison, Pa & G-Ma, Grandma & Grandpa Baldwin, Poppa Jim, Louise, Grandma Shaw, Uncle Clint & Abigail, Uncle Danny & Aunt Amy, Collin, Bailey, Cole, Aunt Tamara, Aunt Tomi, Jason, Kala, Josiah, Jareck, Katelyn & Kinley Easterwood (and their dad, Brian), Amanda, Dustin, Carson, Andrew & Abigail Cupp, Paul, Krista & Brody Smith, Jennifer & Molly Perona, and their niece Madison...I sure hope I didn't forget anyone! We decided to just invite family and a few close friends from church...and we had a house full of people! I don't know what we'll do when Mackenzie wants to invite a whole bunch of friends. Before the party started, Poppa, Louise and Grandma Shaw came early and had lunch with us. Mackenzie looked so cute and grown up in this outfit that Pa & G-Ma got for her birthday! I still can't believe my baby is four...I think she had a very Happy Birthday! On a little bit of a sad note, this was Mackenzie's first birthday without G.G. A few days after her party Mackenzie asked "Mommy, where is G.G.?" so I told her, "G.G. is in heaven with Jesus." I think it really sunk in to Mackenzie that she isn't here anymore, when she wasn't at her birthday party. Mackenzie started crying and said, "But mommy, I will miss you when you go to heaven." We were on our way to church, and of course I started crying too. We had a good little talk about how there are no tears in heaven, and how we don't need to worry about when we will go to heaven. Man, how do you explain such things to a 3...wait, 4 year old? She is really starting to wonder and ask questions about things. The other night she asked her daddy why Jesus had to die on the cross. It did seem very strange not to have G.G. at the birthday party...Mackenzie would have had a bag of goodies from her...probably sticks and cheese, play-doh, a coloring book and crayons, some bubbles, a little purse, and of course cute clothes...she always came up with fun little things for her. So glad we have those memories to think back on! Enough sadness...on to the party!
The 4 Year Old Birthday Girl!
The "table-scape"...Sandra Lee would be proud! I was very happy with how it turned out!
I love making mom's sugar cookies...they are so much work, but worth it in the end! The ladybugs turned out very cute!
My first cookie bouquet...this was fun!
I was planning to make the cake, but changed my mind at the last minute and ordered it from Merritt's...it was good, but too expensive! They did a good job of matching our decorations, and including Tinkerbell!
I don't think I will ever have a party for the girls without using this cupcake holder...it is a little piece of Grandma Jean on our table. She bought this to use at my baby shower when I was pregnant with Mackenzie, and I just always think of her when I use it. Pa gets the credit for the ladybug on top...how cute is that?!
I loved that Mackenzie chose blue ladybug ears to match her outfit! She is such a girl!
It is a lot of work to have a party at your house...I cleaned and got ready for it all week! I really love the home God has blessed us with! I am so thankful that He always meets, and exceeds our needs! 
I found this birthday party flag at a garage sale, and couldn't wait to use it! How fun!
Pa looks great in his new glasses!
What would we ever do without G-Ma?! She is so much help to me, and makes everything 10 times more fun!
I love my girl!
So glad Great-Grandma Shaw could celebrate with us!
Oh, how we love Poppa Jim! His birthday is October 4th...he was hoping Mackenzie would be born on his birthday, but we got as close as we could! Poppa got Mackenzie a G0-Go Walking Puppy that she named Chloe, after watching Beverly Hills Chihuahua...we are kind of hoping this will hold us off on having to get a real dog for a while longer!
Uncle Clint is crazy about his nieces! Mackenzie made sure he had some blue ears to match his shirt too! Uncle Clint & Abigail got Mackenzie a Jessie doll from Toy Story. She is really into Jessie right now and was very excited!
Pa & G-Ma got Mackenzie three adorable outfits, The Ladybug Game, Barbie Puppy Swim School, and some new make-up! They scored big time!
I wish Brian would have been there to be in this picture, but he was still at church... I knew by having the party on a Sunday that it would be a really busy day for him. He made it in plenty of time for the party though! 
Grandma Shaw always takes the best pictures! She gave Mackenzie $10 and a $50 Savings Bond for her birthday! When the girls get older, it will be a treat for them to cash in their savings bonds!
So glad Louise could be with us this year! She got Mackenzie a Tinkerbell Music Box, which she loves!
Kinley and Katelyn Easterwood got to come to the party, and Mackenzie was so excited to see them! They are always dressed so cute, in matching outfits! Very sweet little girls! They got Mackenzie a Strawberry Shortcake toy that she loves!
Time to open presents...there were lots of them! For several weeks before her birthday, Mackenzie would watch toy commercials and get very excited and say, "That's just what I want mommy!" She got almost every single thing she asked for...she might be just a bit spoiled...nah, just really loved!
She was OH, so excited about her new purple unicorn pillow pet from Grandma and Grandpa Baldwin! She hugged every present she opened like this!
She had an audience! Mack also got a pretty bracelet from the Perona's, a Hello Kitty sticker book & Tinkerbell art kit from the Smith's, a cute outfit from Tomi & Jason, and a princess dress-up costume from her friend Emma, who couldn't be at the party. We had to clean out her room a few days before the party to make room for all of her new things!
Uncle Danny, Aunt Amy, Collin, Bailey & Cole got Mackenzie the Rapunzel Hair Braider! Obviously, she was very happy!
Carson & Andrew got Mackenzie a cake making Play-Doh set! They really wanted to help open her presents! Such cute boys!
This is her new puppy from Poppa Jim! I had to hide this present in the shed before the party, because it kept barking inside the wrapped package!
Time to sing Happy Birthday! Mack kind of "zoned out" during most of it! I think she was a little overwhelmed by all those presents!
Aunt Tamara and Uncle Stephen got Mackenzie a really cute outfit from GAP! Stephen had to work, so he couldn't come to the party...it was really nice of Tamara to come all that way by herself.
Bailey and Mackenzie were wearing the same style of dresses...they looked so cute together!
The kids had a great time bouncing! It was hard to get many picture of them in there, because they were never still!
"Piatza" time! (As Mackenzie calls it!) The kids all had a fun time with this! Everyone got two or three turns, and then we let Josiah bust it open! This was the only butterfly pinata I could find and its face was smashed in...I got it for 30% off, and I figured they were just going to bust it up anyway! 
The mad dash for the candy!
So glad the cousins could be there this year! Last year, Collin had a seizure on the day of the party, and had to go to the hospital. So glad they are all feeling well now!
Uncle Clint and Abigail got back from the OU/TX game just in time for the party!
We miss spending time with the Cupps' since they moved to Cushing...we were so happy that they could come to the party!
Madison was lookin' good in her new shades! The girls' party bags were fun...they got sunglasses, rings with lipgloss in them, cute little ladybugs, stick on earrings that didn't work, little flower erasers...the boys just got a few bugs and some candy!
A bunch of Baldwin girls!
This was towards the end of the party, and Mack's hair was lookin' a little crazy!
Daddy loves his little ladybug!
Just relaxing with Uncle Clint & Abigail after everyone left!
Uncle Clint & Abigail waited patiently for their turn, once all the other kids left!
G-Ma and Mackenzie were TIRED!
We had a few presents for Poppa's birthday too!
G-Ma and Pa stayed and helped clean up a little bit, and Madison was very upset when they left...she is crazy about her G-Ma! I was surprised that Mackenzie didn't get upset about it, but she was pretty excited about playing with all of her new toys! We opened the Barbie Puppy Swim School and I gave the girls a bath. We were all worn out! Then we watched Beverly Hills Chihuahua and went to bed early! It was a good end to a wonderfully fun day!
Mackenzie named the puppies "Chloe," "Delgado," and "Diablo" and the Barbie's name is Rachel...she really likes Beverly Hills Chihuahua! Although, she did cry during one of the sad parts of the movie. She has a very sensitive little heart. She decided that she would let Madison play with one of the puppies, but it was the boy...she didn't let her play with the girl! Madison is too little to care right now, but I am seeing trouble in the future!
Goodnight!
Happy 4th Birthday Mackenzie! Mack's birthday was on the Saturday of OU/TX weekend, so we decided to wait until Sunday to have her party. It really worked out great for her, because she pretty much got to have two solid days of birthday celebrations! It was so sweet on the morning of her birthday...of course, she had come into our room in the middle of the night, and when she woke up in the morning, she looked at me and said, "Am I 4?!" It was so precious! We let her open some presents from us, and then daddy took her to the donut shop to get a pink donut! That was a lot of fun...she told everyone in the donut shop that she was 4! We spent the morning cleaning house, making cookies, mowing the yard, and picking up her cake...it was a very busy morning! Pa & G-Ma got to our house just a little before the football game started. I think Mackenzie had a very fun birthday, but she was really excited for her party the next day!
Mackenzie got a purple unicorn that she named "Unicorny!"
When Pa & G-Ma got there, Mackenzie got to open even more presents! She got a Tinkerbell bouncy ball from Madison, a My Little Pony remote control airplane from us, The Ladybug Game, three adorable outfits, and some make-up from Pa & G-Ma! She loved her cards too!
Look at this precious little "big" girl! This was two days before Mackenzie's 4th birthday. I really can't believe that I have been a mom to this beautiful child for 4 years. I am blessed, indeed! It is strange really, because it seems like just yesterday that my life changed forever, while at the same time, I can't remember life before she arrived! Someone asked her today how old she was and she said, "I'm 3!" I was very sad that she will only be able to say that for two more days. Then she said, "But Mommy, I'm an OLDER 3!" That is a big deal in her world!
