A Fiery Fiesta

We decided to do something very small and informal for Ethan's birthday this year. Well, small and informal doesn't seem to be in my vocabulary because no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't let his birthday pass without a party to celebrate our sweet boy. In all honesty, it was nothing fancy, just a small get together with some friends and most importantly, FIRE TRUCKS!

The day was spent outside enjoying gorgeous weather. The kids had a blast running around, burning off some stored energy. We also ate great food and drank some much needed adult beverages. Mostly enjoying the company of some great friends we had not seen in a long time.

Having 11 kiddos there under the age of 4 makes for quite a wild party. There was lots of running around, scooter riding, grocery shopping, and of course cruising in the power wheels!
Heather and Bob were nice enough to bring the Escalade along with them and of course, the tractor was in full swing as well. Both were a huge hit, especially with the "bigger" kids. I think Jack and Anna enjoyed riding in the Escalade the most; as long as they were together! A budding romance, perhaps?!?!?
The babies even enjoyed themselves! Soon enough it will be time to celebrate their 1st birthdays. I can't believe it!

Shortly after dinner it was time to have birthday cake. About 6 months ago, Ethan, out of the blue, said he wanted a fire truck cake. We talked about it a lot, but I honestly thought he would change his mind. Over the next couple of months I would occasionally ask him about his cake and he still said fire truck. How could I let this birthday pass without getting the child a fire truck cake? So, I started to research how to make my own, but after countless hours, I was coming up short. At least nothing was meeting my expectations! I finally found a woman nearby that makes cakes from her home and was willing to make the 3D cake I had pictured in my head. The end result was nothing more than perfection!
From the white chocolate ladders to the "Ethan" license plate, Tracey did not miss a single detail. The cake was darling! If you live in the area and are looking for a delicious cake, contact Cutie Patootie cakes; Tracey is amazing. The cake is yummy too!

Even though Ethan loves to sing Happy Birthday, he was a little hesitant when it came time for the singing and the candles. I don't know if it was all the attention or what, but you can tell by his face that he wasn't quite sure about the whole thing.
He quickly got over it and posed for some cute pictures!
The boys ensured they got a piece of the wheel...it looks like they enjoyed it!
And even though I wanted to do something "not too fancy," I couldn't help but get the kids a little party favor. These are adorable fire house themed crayons I found on Etsy. I custom ordered a set of 3 (fire hat, hydrant, and truck) crayons from ScribblerCrayons and they were adorable. They came really fast and pre-wrapped, which makes for an easy favor.
After everyone left, it was time to open presents. Cars 2 was a common theme among the gifts which was alright with Ethan. He received quite a few die cast cars from the movie (I think he might have almost all of them now) and a few t-shirts that would be worn everyday if I would let him. Here he is modeling...
He also received a very cool Little Tikes Baseball Trainer and Zum Balance Bike. Both have been big hits and will get a ton of use until the weather starts to get chilly and we receive our first snow fall (can't believe I am even saying that).
So, a very big HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY to our Ethan John! I know he enjoyed his small fiesta and couldn't have been more thrilled with the most important element of his party, the fire truck cake!