Fancy Birthday TEA!

For Emma's birthday this year we wanted to have a Fancy Tea Party.

For weeks before the party we started collecting tea cups and saucers and we even found a tea pot. It was really fun to involve Emma and Maddison in all the planning, we had so much fun together in our thrift store adventures, discovering all sorts of treasures and trying on fancy hats, shoes and dresses!

As a result the party was perfectly F A N C Y!

Emma was pronounced the Queen of THIS tea party with a sparkling tiara!

Her Fancy-Free Friends!

I loved this picture I snapped of Emma through the mirror, she is one special princess!

We had a make-up station, they were so thrilled to have eye shadow, lipstick and blush.

Of course we didn't drink "Tea" we had fruit punch in our Tea Pot! It was so darling to watch them try to keep their pinkies up!!!

Only "fancy" cupcakes would do!

I love planning parties and this one was no different. I truly think I was more excited than Emma for her special party. The girls played "Musical Hat" which was so adorable to watch and it was a really fun afternoon. Maddison and Kate were our servers and Brian, Will, Ethan and Carter also helped with bringing out the "fancy" snacks and dessert. I loved watching them, white gloved, help themselves to the dainty dishes of sweets set around the table. The girls decorated wands, and then Emma used her wand to chose whose present to open.

It was tough to watch this party come to an end. Taking in the childhood wonder is so enchanting. I just don't ever want it to end.....childhood that is. Yet it seems now that my sweet Emma is 4, she is growing and changing every day. I cherish these moments, for I know they are fleeting and won't last. I pray that I will have no regrets, as I live fully in each moment that motherhood brings.

Yesterday Emma was drawing a picture, while I was reading. I looked up as she placed her picture over my book and said "Look Mom, you're the only one who can reach the stars!" In her picture I had extremely long legs and took up almost the entire page. We giggled together and since I have thought much about her words. It is like those words indicate her belief in who I am striving daily to become. Its like she is saying, keep reaching, Mom. What you love, I'll love too, whatever your passion is, that will be my passion too. OF all the things I want Emma to love and be passionate about, NUMBER ONE. . . . . is the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that the way I live has everything to do with how my children will live. I hope that in my example, my love, my teaching, that they will come to love the Savior as deeply and completely as I do. For without him I am nothing, and without him they will be lost.

I'll keep reaching for those stars Emma!