Hyrum 6th Birthday - Mario

We are up and ready to go today.  After getting everything cleaned up, including ourselves, we give Matt a call and he comes to pick us up for the day.  He has Hyrum and Zyra with him and we have to run a few errands for Becca before going out to Lockwood.   When we get into the vehicle, we have Hyrum's gift with us and I show it to him.  He asks what it is and I tell him that since his party is today, it is his birthday present.  He gives a fist pump and says, "I knew it!  I knew I would get a present."  Too funny.  Once the errands are finished, the kids ask to stop at a local playground and so Dad obliges.  Let's get rid of a little energy.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this picture.

It is party day and the house is rapidly transforming into Mario world with a lot of help from Becca and her parents.  I really need to say how impressed we are with the artwork on the walls and the cake.  Lilian, Becca's mom, has created almost all of it.  It is simply stated:  amazing.

Gotta tell ya --- if I can catch my kids like this --- well it simply warms my heart beyond measure.

I peek downstairs where Hyrum and Avo are making ghost balloons.  Every single detail has been looked after by her.  It is time for some lunch, but every single counter and table is now covered and there is not anywhere to eat the pizza that is delivered.  I sit the kids down on the kitchen floor -- it works.

Another Matt/Zyra moment.  Gotta say, I love these more than I can say.

Grandpa gets to work with the finishing touches in the living room.  He is getting to be an old pro at this.  At least this time we don't have an arch to build.  The whole place is really starting to look amazing.

To kill some time, I get the kids to play a game of Memory with me but it doesn't take long for Hyrum to cuddle with Grandpa and play his video game.

It is party time!  I think the house is ready.  The table is ready.  Hyrum is ready!  Let's get this show on the road --- anyone hear a doorbell?  Soon the house is full of people and kids.  At one point Grandpa takes on the duty of supervising the trampoline so that no one gets hurt.  Check out Zyra's hair -- we seem to get a picture like this on each visit.

After singing Happy Birthday in two languages -- English and Portuguese -- Mom lights the candle and it is a sparkler.  Hyrum is not the least bit sure about it and there is no way he is going to blow it out.  i LOVE the look on his face.

Dad talks him into it and soon the fireworks are out.  (Don't I have one good looking son with one amazing smile?)

It is present time and everyone crowds around in the living room.  Matt takes over crowd control and package storage and I have to laugh with each new gift.  He moves the kids back each time and hides the gifts behind him.  It is all very smooth and works like a charm.  We have gotten Hyrum some more of the Mario building sets he loves and he is so excited to open it.  Score.

Alas, our time here in Billings has come to an end.  We head back to Rhiana's house and crash as we have one very early flight.  It was a good time and we will be going home to a very quiet house.  Dang.

Here is our last look at Montana for awhile.  Home soon.