Grace Ann's 1st Birthday Party was a HIT!

I can’t keep calm, I’m the birthday princess.

On Saturday, the 17^th my grand-daughter Grace Ann turned one year old. By this being her first birthday party I wanted to go all out. All I can say is a grand-mothers love. For those of you who are grand-parents, you know that special love for your first grand-baby and wanting things to be perfect. Well, that’s the joy I was feeling for Grace Ann’s first party. I was overjoyed to say the least.

OMG, can I tell you that week before was crazy. I lost my phone twice within the same week at two different stores buying last minute decorations for the party. Luckily, each time I found it. The first time I was already in my car and had driven down the street, when I realized I had left it in the hand shopping cart that I had dropped by the door on my way out. I whipped my car around, parked crazy in the parking lot and ran in the store and it was right where I left it. All I kept thinking about was my all of my grand-baby’s pictures. Let me tell I did a Hallelujah dance!

And, let’s not talk about the second time. I was in the Dollar Tree and I spotted some table runners and became all excited and put my phone down to get the color that I wanted for the party. In the midst of it all I forgot that I had put down my phone and left from that section. It was not until I went to use my phone that I realized I did not have it. That’s when the panic set in. I thought perhaps while I was bending down that it had fallen out or someone had taken it out of my back pocket. My mind was racing with where could it be?

There was a couple walking nearby and I asked them did they by chance see an iPhone? The woman eye’s bucked and she asked, “You lost your iPhone?” I said yes ma’am could you please call the number. Luckily, I had my Bluetooth headset around my neck and heard it ringing so I knew it wasn’t far from me. That was a sigh of relief. We called the number several times trying to locate exactly where the phone was.

I must say the couple was very nice and patient while helping me look for my phone. We backed tracked my steps and eventually found my phone. Now, that was my second hallelujah dance. I asked the man if he was a pastor or not, and the reason I said that was because he had this certain disposition about himself, but I told him I’m not sure if you are a pastor or not, but whew after this I need a drink. The couple laughed and went on their way. They were a true blessing indeed.

After that, I realized I needed to slow down, two incidents within the same week, was just too much.

Now, the day of the party wasn’t so bad. I still had minor preparations to do but luckily, I was blessed to have family and friends in place to assist me with last minute details. I had to finish up tying ribbons on some Minnie Mouse rice crispy treats, pick up balloons and food racks for the party store and finalize the space walk. The spacewalk was in limbo because originally there was supposed to be an 80 percent chance of rain but let me tell you my God is good. I had been watching the weather and the percentage kept going down until finally by the time it was to be delivered there was only a 20 percent chance of rain so I instructed the vendor to go ahead and deliver the Minnie Mouse Clubhouse spacewalk. We had chosen the cotton candy machine if the weather had not permitted us to use the spacewalk. In the end, it did not rain at all. Won’t he do it!

Now, it’s party time. Grace Ann had a nice turn out. Everyone mixed and mingled. For the children we served hot dogs and chips with ketchup, mustard and relish. For the adults we served, jambalaya, string beans, mac n cheese, deviled eggs and fried chicken. Let me tell you everything was delicious. Since we had the spacewalk and the play area next to the gym we incorporated one game which was pin the bow on Minnie and pin the nose on Mickey. The kids loved it. Now it was time to sing Happy Birthday. Grace was just looking around and talking. She had her personal smash cake. At first, she just looked at it. It wasn’t until her mother started smashing and mushing the cake that she really started putting her hands in it and eating it. Next, we opened her gifts and she could care less. By this time, she was whining and tired. I must say she was a trooper to the end.

To sum everything up, Grace Ann’s 1^st Birthday was a HIT! I would be wrong to say although, I thoroughly enjoyed putting everything together, I don’t want to see a Dollar Tree, Hobby Lobby nor a Party Store anytime soon. This Ya-Ya has retired her party planning shoes….of course that’s until next year. Now, it’s time for that drink I talked about to the man that so graciously assisted me in finding my phone. Toodles!

Below are some pictures from her Minnie Mouse extravaganza!