Abby had really been looking forward to her birthday party. I had really been looking forward to her birthday party. This was the first year that she actually realized what a birthday was and what the party was about so she was really, really looking forward to it. She wanted a Tangled party so that is what we set out to do! I scoured Pinterest for ideas. We invited her friends from school and church.
Then last weekend happened and as much as I tried to fight it, we realized that a big party would not have been in the best interest for anyone. I cried and felt so guilty. I felt like a failure as a mom and worried that Abby would be so mad.
made the call to cancel her party but still have our family come to town and have a more-laid back gathering at our house.
Saturday morning came and I honestly don’t think Abby even noticed the difference. My parents, sister, and niece came down from Virginia for the weekend and John’s parents and brother came in from two hours away. It was an amazing day. To save on stress, we ordered a deli tray and a fruit tray but I made gluten-free cupcakes which turned out delicious!
I had worried that not having a big party would be sad for Abby but when I look at these pictures, I think we made the right decision:
My lesson from the weekend: Cut myself some slack. Its not the frills of the celebration that make the best memories – its the family.
Lovely! Quality over quantity – works every time! 🙂