All the Sun For You

A mom, two boys, a husband, and a whole lot of adventure!

Category Archives: Birthday


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I Do Love My Crafts (and the Parties that Go With Them!)

B has been out of town for three nights, which means I’ve had time each night to work on Matthew’s birthday banner!  What a load of work this thing is!  I’m still not done, but it’s really close now.  All the detail work is done and I just need to string it together (not sure how I’m going to do that just yet) and then glue the letters on.  I probably won’t do those things until just before his birthday because storing it fully constructed would likely ruin it.  When I set out to do this, I didn’t think it would take too terribly long.  I forgot that I’m a perfectionist when it comes to crafts and parties.   I have re-done many of the letters because they weren’t perfect.  Some still aren’t – but I’m going to let them go!

Next up?  I’ve decided to make a mobile for my friend’s baby shower with all of the advice cards that people fill out.  I am very pleased to say that I came up with this idea on my own!  I am not an original crafter – oh no!  I’m a WONDERFUL copier of great craft ideas, but this one came to me with no prompting from Etsy or Pinterest.  I AM SHOCKED BY THIS.  I’ve gone to lots of showers (even my own) where people write very heart-felt notes and advice on some cutesy form or die-cut, and then you never look at them again.  I loved what people wrote to me, but they’re now sitting in a box in Matthew’s cupboard.  So what I’m going to do is make die-cuts of bees and honey combs (her theme is bees) and have people write advice on those.  I will then take them all and make a mobile out of them.

I’ve never made a mobile in my life.  I did scour Etsy and Pinterest for instructions or examples and found several – so I bought my supplies today.  I am going to make a practice mobile to see if I’m even any good at it – I’d hate to ruin her advice cards on an ugly mobile.  S0… I will make one that matches Matthew’s birthday theme and hang it above the table where we set up the food.  Then – it will go into his bedroom after the party.

I don’t know where this crafting desire came from all of a sudden.  I’ve always loved, loved, LOVED making invitations (can’t wait to make the shower invitations for my friend!!!) but beyond that, I usually start projects and never finish them.  I’ve got to finish these projects – I don’t have a choice.

After the mobile – I will practice his birthday cake!  The friend whose shower I’m hosting is a FABULOUS cake decorator – especially with fondant – so she is going to help me.  She even reminded me last night that we have to do that soon – like within a couple weeks.  I will post photos.

Here is the banner so far… it is different from what I posted last night because each card now has ribbon around the edges (in case you were wondering!).


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Birthdays

Update from yesterday:  We had blood work run again this morning and M’s liver enzymes are still slightly elevated which indicates that he did ingest something toxic.  The doctor today took things very seriously and was very thoughtful throughout our discussions with her.  We need to repeat the blood work until things are back to normal – so there are more needles (hopefully very few) in M’s immediate future.  M is feeling and acting great – you would have no idea that he went through what he did yesterday.  We are very thankful for the way this situation turned out!  Many thanks to you all for your words of support and encouragement  🙂

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Today is my birthday.  I’m not a big birthday person, and I know that that needs to change now that I have a child.  I want M’s birthday to be very special, each and every year.  I don’t want him growing up thinking that birthdays aren’t a big deal – because they really should be.

Given the events of yesterday, we did not have big plans.  Well, let me rephrase that.  B did have a weekend getaway planned, which was unbeknownst to me, but called the hotel on the way home from the ER yesterday to cancel.  We had to stay in town in case M got symptomatic again.  We also were prescribed to get a repeat of M’s blood work this morning, so going out of town was not an option.  Honestly, on the way to the ER yesterday, I told M that all I wanted for my birthday was for him to get better and to be OK.  And I got my birthday wish – thank G0d!

B and I don’t do big presents for each other for holidays or birthdays.  Instead, we buy something big for the house, or go on a trip, or make a fun (unnecessary) purchase prior to a birthday and say that’s our present.  This system works out great!  For Christmas this year, we bought the professional family photos for the house.  There is nothing that B could have given me that would warm my heart more than photos of my family throughout our home.  In February when I needed (wanted) a jogging stroller, I said, “this can by my birthday present this year.”  B knows that I’m serious when I say that, and he honors it and then focuses my real birthday on me and not on a gift for me.  The only thing I do ask for on the day of my birthday (or holiday) is a card.  I do need a card!

M’s birthday will not be treated like this at all.  Oh no!  I am already planning his first birthday party for the end of June and just asked my friend tonight if she’d help me practice his birthday cake.  I took a cake decorating class for B’s 30th birthday (3 years ago!) and that cake was the last one I’ve made that took real effort.  The cake was three tiers, full fondant, with support rods and all.  It was massive (heavy!) – and took almost 12 hours to complete with help from B in the final 4 hours so it would be done in time for his big birthday bash.  It was both fun and exhausting – so exhausting that I hung up my cake apron until now!  I have a smaller cake planned for M’s birthday, but it will be two tiers with fondant owls and trees – and I am rusty at cake decorating to say the least.  I need help and we need a couple practice runs at it so it’s perfect for his big day.  There will also be handmade invitations, a custom shirt and hat from Etsy for the birthday boy, and tasteful decorations and balloons to make the house festive.  Even though M won’t remember this at all, I want it to be memorable!

It needs to be special – because he is special!  There were days when we were cycling that I truly thought that we may never have a baby.  I wondered if I’d ever get to plan birthday parties, breakfasts with Santa, and Easter egg hunts.  Now I have this beautiful boy who makes every single day the best day of my life.  He deserves to be celebrated – and he will be celebrated each and every year – for the special gift that he is in our lives.