Kelsey's 5th Birthday Tea Party!

This year, Kelsey's birthday party was at a local park. I was trying to think of way to make a tea party a little less girly since Kelsey is still at the age where she wants ALL of her friends at her party. The Wilderness Station seemed like a perfect fit.

This is where the tea party took place.
When all of our friends arrived, they chose an animal mask to put on...

I had also brought Mad Hatter-esque hats for the boys to wear and ties...

I also had tiaras, fairy wings, necklaces and rings for the girls to wear even though most of the boys (not just Brady-ha!) put them on, too!

Our leader read the kids a short story about a tea party then they sang "I'm a Little Teapot"

Love this picture...

Next up was the craft! Kelsey is really into arts and crafts right now. Everyone made a tea pot shaped picture frame.

We tried to get the chinchilla, Buttercup, to join the party but she was too scared. :(

Next, we took a short nature walk outside. It was a BEAUTIFUL day for it. The kids really seemed to enjoy it. I, on the other hand, was anxious to get back to the Wilderness Station because I knew a very special surprise guest was making an appearance any second! Eek!

Perfect timing, too! As soon as we walked in, our special guest had arrived and this was Kelsey's initial reaction!!! LOVE.IT!

YANCY!!!! EEK!!! Her talent is RIDICULOUS!

Yancy is our #1 in the Cargile household! We heart her so much it's kinda scary. haha! She is a super talented singer/songwriter. She travels all over the country sharing her amazing talent all while touching the hearts of many with her fantastic message.
If you listen to Christian music at all then you've probably heard Avalon's song "I Don't Want to Go"...well, Yancy co-wrote it. Yeah, she's awesome! :)

Yancy so kindly agreed to make an appearance at Kelsey's party and sing a few of her favorite songs!

I love this picture...it looks like she's thinking "I love my life!" You see what a little Yancy can do for you? hehehehe

If you have kids in your house, RUN (don't walk) and buy our favorites! Little Praise Party and Rock-N-Happy Heart!!! We can NOT wait for her new cd to come out either:
Stars, Guitars & Megaphone Dreams! Only two more months!

Do you think Kelsey was happy? *twirls*

All of the kids (young and old) enjoyed it!

My little FIVE year old was on Cloud 9! YAYAYAYAY!

Thank you, Yancy! You made my daughter's birthday party so memorable and special. Kelsey is sure to be talking about it for a very, very long time. We are so blessed to have your awesome talent at our church. You have impacted so many. :)

After our mini concert, we had cupcakes for everyone and a small smash cake for the birthday girl! I keep looking at Kelsey's sweet face as we all sang "Happy Birthday" to her. She looks like she feels SO special. Mission Accomplished!!! :)

You can't have cake without ice cream, um...I mean, a "make your own ice cream sundae bar" :)

Complete with all of your favorite toppings. I think all of the kids really enjoyed making their own! Kelsey tickled me. She was making hers and then told me that she made it for Yancy. lol How sweet is that? Poor Yancy, it was mostly marshmallows and gummy bears. haha!

Yancy and her biggest cheerleader!

We tried to get a group picture but some had already left ...

We also had a food table filled with all of Kelsey's favorite snacks: chicken nuggets, pizza rolls, chips, hummus and carrots, and a fruit tray.

I made a cherry limeade that was delicious! Those pink and white straws just made me happy! lol

Kelsey's Sweet Shoppe...

Everyone filled up a treat bag full of their favorite candy as they left. Don't forget your toothbrush! A friend of mine said, "of course you would give everyone a toothbrush along with the candy." lol

I think Brady was the happiest of all that we had a candy bar. That little stinker ate candy and cookies the entire party! He is a CANDY MONSTER! :) Little brother was so funny, I think he thought it was his birthday party. He loved it all!

Mommy and her beautiful princess!

I love this shot of her with the polka dot balloons holding onto Alice. :) Up, up and away...

Special thanks to Nick Bumgardner Photography! I wouldn't have any pictures of this special day if it weren't for you! Thank you! :)

One last note, I got so excited when I recently ran into another mom that was at the party. She teaches Sunday School at her church and she told me that she & her daughter loved Yancy so much that she went to her Sunday School director at her church and told her that they had to get Yancy's music in their church. She told me she went and ordered her music for her church that week. YAY! Get Yancy to come to your church HERE!

**Edited to add a picture of this gorgeous banner that my dear friend, Kati, made for Kelsey's party: Yes, I totally took a picture of it hanging up in her room. If you had this gorgeous banner handmade, you would too! :) Thank you, Kati!

Oh and the birthday fun doesn't end here, nope! Just wait till you see the special trip we took for her special day!