Leia's Surprise Birthday Party! (Birthday #1)

For weeks Leia Rose has been asking if she could have a surprise party. My response was always the same, "Not while we're in the middle of moving, honey. And besides, if you knew about it, it wouldn't be a surprise!" Well, Leia Rose planted the seed in that way and since we already had planned a pre-birthday get together with Grandma, Grandpa, Alan, & Cassie where everyone wanted to take Leia Rose out to a restaurant AND since she had recently been commenting on the fun birthday song that servers sing at On The Border, . . . LEIA ROSE FINALLY GOT HER SURPRISE PARTY. And yes, she was TOTALLY surprised, . . . with a Darth Vader cake, no less!!! (Thanks Aunt Cassie!) : )

I think that Leia Rose's expression in this picture is absolutely priceless! : )

We truly made this her "real" family birthday celebration, so we brought most all of her presents to open today. Another real surprise because it was a week before her real birthday. : ) We only brought a few pertinent ones out to dinner, though, like this Darth Vader light saber (that she still calls a "light saver"). And, no, this isn't On The Border because the one in Greenville didn't do the birthday song anymore, . . . so we "settled" for the Olive Garden. : ) (And no one was happier than Annie, which you'll see in the next post.) ; )

. . . but ironically, what Leia really wanted to do when we got back to Alan and Cassie's house was play in the gutter. Ha! ; ) It had rained quite a bit, so there was a really fast-flowing river where Leia wanted to sail a leaf-boat. So we did, . . . and Annie, too! Presents could wait?!? ; )

And the favorite gift of the day? . . . STAR WARS FIGURES!!!!! (That Leia Rose had been waiting so patiently for, . . . for months.) And I just love these photos that show a true love for this movie between father and daughter. : )

Here's another favorite gift of the day who Leia Rose named "October" after her birthstone. It's a little doll from Grandma that plays "You Are My Sunshine" and has Leia's birthstone. Leia loved it so much that she made her a little house. : )

I remember a picture of Leia Rose wearing her Cinderella dress and doing her "I feel pretty" face that her Great Great Grandma Staggers used to do. And here is that same face again because Leia's feeling extra pretty and special after Grandma gave her a very special necklace that says "Leia" on it. : )

Another present hit? Kapla blocks from Oma & Papa! Leia Rose has wanted these since she built "Bounce" from Miss Spider's Sunny Patch with Daddy at the kids museum. : )

And Leia Rose was also incredibly enamored with Chester! Both her new plush Chester, . . .

. . . and the REAL Chester!!! : )