Party Sunday

As I said at the end of my previous post, we went to Grace Community Fellowship in Manheim on Sunday morning.  That was our home church for 25 years before we moved to State College, and it still feels like home whenever we go there.  We took Sammy with us, and of all things, the children's message was about Samuel being called by God in the night!  He was his talkative, very entertaining self during the children's time!  He enjoyed the music too.  What a boy!

When we got back to Sam and Jenn's afterward Bianca's party was already underway.   The first thing we saw was this birthday cake on the counter, made by Jenn's friend.

She was already opening gifts and came to show us this outfit.

Sammy was eager to help her open gifts and show her everything.

Their house was made for big groups!  Jenn's parents, her aunt, her sister, and some nieces and nephews were there.

Singing "Happy Birthday, dear Bianca!"

Bianca almost became too shy to come in the door when she realized she was the one we were singing to!

As soon as we'd had our cake, Dick and I had to leave.  Bianca was thoroughly enjoying hers, but she still stopped eating long enough to say in the SWEETEST voice, "Goodby, Mahna.  Goodby, Grandpa."  My heart was in a complete puddle!

We headed to Reading where we first of all picked up Destiny from her mom's house and then went to Frank and Lauren's for another birthday party.  Jada's fourth!

I was glad for the chance to hold precious little Alaya.

She slept through so much noise!

Piñata time!  Frank held it up with a broom!  One of the guys said, "Now that's ghetto!"  Frank said, "No, it was my dad's idea, so it's Mennonite!"

Somebody gave Jada a dress-up set, complete with high heels.  She put that stuff on and even did the piñata in high heels, hahahaha!

We left for home around 6:30 with Destiny in tow.

We did two of our favorite things when we got here to our house a few hours later - we had a tea party with her little china set that she bought with allowance money she had saved up when she was around 7 years old!  And we played a few rounds of Mancala.

On Monday evening she looked through all her old photo albums and pictures and was having fun sending them to her mom, her dad, and her friends.  Here's an adorable collage of her two-year-old pictures that I'm letting her take home to put on her dresser.  

She also got out her bead kits and made a few bracelets, including one for me.  Boy, does my skin look like a Grandma or what???

On Tuesday evening we made cookies.  Yes, she has RED hair now, hahaha!  I told her she blended in with my curtains!

Today we were at Anthony and Lori's all day.  She found a very old favorite movie, Land Before Time, on Netflix, and watched it.

Hunter was having an animated conversation with the toys hanging in front of him.  

And now I think I'm all caught up!