Mussels & Mermaids: A Joint Birthday Party:

Happy Monday Friends! 

With the hustle & bustle of Kindergarten staring, Steven being gone, and well... life, I haven't had time to post about the joint birthday bash that was; Mussels & Mermaids! 

I am so excited to finally be sharing all of the details from the big joint birthday bash with all of you! It was such a perfect day celebrating our Summer babes a few weeks ago and having daddy here for it was exactly why we did this {he was gone for both of their actual birthdays}. Everything came together perfectly and Charli & Crew loved every little detail that went into their special celebration {I have a feeling Charli is going to be just like momma when it comes to planning & decorating haha!}

We changed it up quite a bit this year as we had the party at 4pm {which we have never done}. It gave me a little anxiety having the party that late in the afternoon. If you are from here or know our kind of Summer weather than you know it pretty much rains every single afternoon here {because, humidity}. I am so thankful it only sprinkled for the first several minutes and ended up being a wonderful evening for everyone to enjoy.

With throwing an early evening party I thought it would be appropriate to have small snacks/hors d'oeuvres, which ended up working perfectly. We served steamed Mussels, Shrimp cocktail, Chicken skewers {which I called "chicken of the sea" hahahaha!}, and some fruit, veggies, and cheeses. 

With a beverage station for the kids & adults too of course {because we also get parched}! 

Summer birthdays in Florida have to be either inside or water related, it is just too hot & humid for anything else. And with the kids now-a-days, having a "fun activity" or a "main attraction" is the way we are steering. So we surprised the kids with a blow up water slide for their birthday. It was the best purchase and all the kids loved it and had the absolute best time {high five between Steven & I!!}! Charli & Crew have already used it multiple times since their party too, total win! 

We slowed the pace of the party to sing Happy Birthday before returning to organized chaos. 

As our guests started to file out, the kids handed them their party favors "C" Bags {you know, like Sea Bags :)} haha! They were filled with a bag of Goldfish & Swedish Fish! A perfect little treat from the sea! ;)

We waited to open presents when it was just a few of our family & close friends {I just feel it is even more chaotic when you try and do presents with ALL the kids...}

Charli & Crew had the absolute best birthday celebration and to our surprise, Charli is requesting another joint birthday for next year {jaw dropped}. 

Thank you to everyone who could make it and celebrate these two cuties!

It truly made their day!

Catching Moments: {29/52}:

*Caught a quick snooze after a busy day... Crew and I have been staying busy and having so much fun just the two of us since school started. It was a family decision to keep Crew home with me one more year before starting Preschool as I have never actually had true one on one time with him {that has been more than just a couple of hours}. We have been cherishing our time together for sure!

*Charli had her very first School Dance last night {seriously guys! The cutest!}. She was beside herself excited and picked out her outfit because "Mommy, it is the most twirliest skirt and will be perfect for my dance moves". Girlfriend was right, and she rocked the dance like it was her job {did you have any doubt} ;) 

Gig Harbor Vacation:

{warning: lots of pictures!}

The Summer's during my childhood and well into my adult years were always spent at our family beach house in Gig Harbor, WA. My parents started putting my brother and I on an airplane when I was about 7 years old to head West. We would fly by ourselves across the country to spend an entire month with my mom's side of the family. My birthday's were usually spent at the beach house, and every single memory I have from out there holds a very special place in my heart. There truly is nothing better than life at the beach! 

Something I always dreamed of was being able to take my own children to the same beach house that I grew up at, my mother grew up at, and her mother grew up at. Hoping they too would cherish this very special place and make lifetime memories with family. I am so grateful that this was Charli's 4th trip and Crew's 2nd, and every year it just gets better!

Summer in the PNW is simply the best. The weather is perfect and the activities are endless. We usually spend our days on the beach and in the water; from boating, to paddle or peddle boarding, digging for clams, to just collecting all the treasures on the beach that we can.

If we aren't on the beach you could find us by the pool. Swimming, enjoying the outdoor shower, or just enjoying the company around us! 

There were so many more fun things we did such as; golfing, playing with bubbles, watching movies, celebrating birthdays, and enjoying every bit of down time with our loved ones! 

We even got to spend time in Great Papa's Orchard & Garden 

 The biggest blessing of all though, was whatever our day's activity or plan ended up being, we were doing it with family. Something we hold very close to our hearts! 

We truly love our time in the PNW and can't wait until next Summer's adventure's