Haley Turns Three!

Our crazy Little Doo turned three a few weeks ago, and we had a lot of fun celebrating her birthday all week long.  Grandma Chris was up for the week, so that made it feel more festive too.  We picked raspberries and ate them with whipped cream, went swimming in the lake, walked to Arctic Dreams, and had lots and lots of tea parties.

On Sunday we had Haley's official birthday party, at Elkins Beach (her special request).  A few of her friends from Windy Hill came, as well as Micah, Becky, Phoebe, Fisher, And Grandmas Sally and Chris.  The weather looked a bit iffy in the forecast, but then turned out to be nice and warm and calm- perfect for little ones to go swimming and play in the sand.  We had the whole beach to ourselves too, I think thanks to the gloomy forecast.  

About a half hour into the party, the bunch of helium balloons that we had tied to the picnic table came loose and started to float away.  We had tied a plastic bath toy to them earlier to weight them down-it was just heavy enough to let the balloons hover in still air, but unfortunately just light enough to allow them to rise in a breeze.  When they took off, Haley noticed them first, and let out a bloody shriek, "MY BALLOONS!!" which was followed by steady sobbing.  The balloons swung low over the water and a couple of adults dove after them and just missed them as they rose up and out of reach.  Up, up up they went over the lake, and we tried to console Haley by pointing out that they really were pretty way up in the sky.  She was having none of it. Then suddenly, they dropped back down to the lake surface, but way outside of the designated swimming area.  Sam's mom Chery is a good swimmer, so she volunteered to swim out and retrieve them.  We all watched her progress intently, especially Haley, but a breeze picked up after Chery had passed the swim buoys and the balloons seemed to be moving across the lake at the same pace as she was.  Then Daddy sprung into action for his distraught birthday girl- a couple had just arrived at the beach and they were preparing to launch their kayaks for a paddle.  Andy begged them to loan him a kayak to save the balloons (and the day) and they agreed wholeheartedly, glad to be part of the adventure.  As he paddled out, Chery turned around, and he finally reached them about 200 yards out.  Everyone cheered as the balloons returned to the picnic table, fastened with a triple knot just to be sure.  It was a cooperative birthday adventure all the guests agreed they would not soon forget!

The infamous balloons!

Haley had a fabulously pink princess birthday cake, and after sharing it with her friends and family she hit the water for another hour or so of swimming.  It was a great third birthday for our doodlebug.  We can't believe she is already three years old!  Oh, and she spontaneously potty trained herself on her birthday too (never dreamed all that talk about her being a "big girl" now would actually work!)...just goes to show that kids can always surprise you :)