Big Fun Under the Big Top!

Mitch and I have always gotten into planning birthday parties for our kids with the hope that we will make them smile. We love to watch them having a blast. And to see their friends having fun too. So we get our heads together and brainstorm, Mitch with more emphasis on the ideas and me with more emphasis on the execution of the ideas. One of my favorites was Max's 4th Pirate Party. Of course they were all dressed like pirates with a patch, but the games were not complete until the kiddos walked a giant plank (2x6) suspended by ladders and jumped into the shark/pillow infested ocean. And there was Emmie's Trail Dust dance til you drop 8th party. And Amanda's Spring Fling party topped off with throwing whipped cream pies at Mitch! What kid doesn't want to throw a whip cream pie at an adult? They all want to. With extra whip cream, please. So with Amanda's Sweet Sixteenth birthday approaching, Mitch and I wanted to do something special and memorable for Amanda. We let her help with the planning so it wouldn't be a lame-o old person party, and we came up with a Carnival. It took hours of work to plan and prepare, and thanks to friends and family we pulled it off and it was a fun time! Mitch's family drove and flew into town to help, and my family jumped in to help too. Brandi was the party planning assistant that I would've died without, and Aunt Cheryl took the professional photos for us! Brandi also painted the photo cut-out of the muscle man and tight-rope walking hottie (based on she and Sterling's bodies!).

The Carnival invitation was a ticket on a Hershey Bar:


Games and Booths:
Dart Throw
Baseball Throw
Monster Trikes
Jumpy Castle
Football Throw
Ducky Pond
Pop Bottle Ring Toss
Nerf Target Shoot
Ping Pong Ball Toss
Kissing Booth (Guess How many
Hersey's kisses in jar)
Face Painting
Henna Tattoos
Candy Booth
Cupcakes
Cotton Candy
Popcorn
Food: Hotdogs, Chips, Soda

Each guest got 25 tickets upon arrival to use for games, food and candy. Each time they won, they'd earn Amanda bucks which they could use to buy prizes.



Here is our pretty 16-year-old.


We rented the Southshore Clubhouse/Boathouse that overlooks Aurora Reservoir. It was the perfect indoor/outdoor spot for a carnival!

Prizes (everything from gift cards to inflatable guitars to fake moustaches and sticky hands)

Cupcakes from Posh bakery in Parker (I recommend them!)

Aunt Cheryl made the delicious candy apples! I had never tried one before.
Now I'm hooked.


The rental company that brought the bouncy house and cotton candy machine had these Monster Trikes (like the clowns pile onto at the circus).
They were a hit.







Suzy-Q the Clown is an amazing face paint artist!



















This is the photo cut out that Brandi drew and she and Sterling painted. It turned out so perfectly, and everyone had fun posing behind it.


Uncle Elton just out of prison.

Happy Sweet Sixteenth Amanda! We love you!