Happy Second Birthday (Party), Jones!

Jones didn't actually get to blow out any candles.
It was just windy enough to keep even our "WindResist" lighter
from working, so he had to fake it, which was fine, since he didn't
know what he was doing, anyway.

Yesterday was Jones's second birthday party.

I hadn't planned to have a second birthday party for Jones, but as I was planning a casual dinner for our immediate family, it occurred to me that, if I had the party on a Sunday between church services - instead of on a Saturday during rec sports, as I did last year - then maybe more of the extended family could come. That, of course, snowballed into an event with more guests than last year's, which was absolutely awesome. 

The theme for the party was easy. Jones loves nothing more than he loves Tec the Tractor. As she always does, Brooke came through with some adorable invitations (thank you, Brooke!), and Mr. Pressley added a real-live Tec ("Gac!") to the mix by towing his old, red Wheel Horse tractor over (thanks, Pop!). Add to that two delicious Tec cakes by a baker recommended by Cindy (mom of last year's baker, Maggie), and BOOM. You've got yourself a Tec the Tractor birthday party. 

It never occurs to me when I plan an outdoor party that I should take the weather into consideration. I always just assume that it'll be fine. Just ask my mother, who wanted to put a tent over the entire Furman Amphitheatre before Jeremy and I got married there. Well, we woke up on party day to the news that pop up rainstorms were probable, most probably starting around 3 p.m., which, in case you missed it, was the start time of the party. 

As soon as we saw this on the Sunday morning news, all four of us stopped and prayed for good weather. By church time, it was shaping up to be a beautiful day, so I came home from church and optimistically started putting plastic tablecloths on the tables and chairs that Jeremy and Mr. Pressley had set up. 

Then came the rain, thirty minutes before party time. 

Pray. Pray. Pray. 

That's all we could do.

And, as always, that's all we needed to do. By 2:45, the rain had stopped, and Mom had the tables and chairs dried off before the first guest arrived (thanks, Mom!). I record this here, so that Jones will always know that God heard our prayer and gave us great weather for his birthday party, just as we'd prayed He would.

The party was so much fun. Kids of all shapes and sizes climbed on "Tec" and played football or cornhole in the backyard. Lizzie Gray and the girls even listened to my "God's Kids" record in Jones's room, totally entranced by the novelty of vinyl. Then came time for presents. I'd put "No gifts necessary" on the invitation, but Jones still managed to rack in some terrific birthday loot - the vast majority of it tractor-related. 

Though it's not a tractor, the Thomas the Tank Engine rollercoaster my parents got him has overtaken our family room. If Jones has ridden once today, he's ridden it a thousand times, many of those times while wearing his new Jake & the Neverland Pirates helmet, which he sees as just another "sha."

To be honest, Jones definitely had some "terrible" moments at the party - he was a little cranky and didn't always want to take turns on Thomas - but for the most part, I think two is gonna suit himt terrifically. He's getting to be "two" much fun, and I'm so grateful for every single second I get to spend with my sweet little buddy. 

Happy birthday, Big Boy!

When the baker texted me a picture of the sheet cake,
I cried. I loved it that much, and I felt a little guilty
cutting into "Gac," as he feels like such a part
of the family. 

This is Jones NOT blowing out any candles.