Ainslie's celebration :)

Warning: This is a long post with lots of pics!!  Take a look at Ainslie's celebration and all the fun we had!

 

(Ainslie age 7)

 

I can hardly believe that it has already been a year since Ainslie finished her last chemo treatment.  It seems so unreal to me. Probably because most of last year felt so consumed with her treatments, and this year has been so "normal", so  it seems like so long ago to me.  Yet, at the same time, it feels like yesterday.  I love this girl.  She is beautiful and strong and such a fighter.  She is an example to me and a rock for me when I think I have it bad.  In one year, her hair has grown back....and is shoulder length.    In one year, her strength has returned and she can climb the monkey bars and do flips as if she was never sick.  In one year she has gained her lost weight back and her cheeks are nice and chubby as before and the spark is back in her eyes.  She is amazing! Noone would know she suffered from cancer just one year ago.

(Deans and Earnshaws visiting from Phoenix)

In celebration of her one year mark, and her 7th birthday, we decided to "Go Big" and give her a special reward for all of the hard trials she had to go through last year.  So, a CARNIVAL it was!!!  It was so good to have to many friends and family come to celebrate with us and share Ainslie's special time.  It was as much a thank-you to all who helped us as it was a celebration for our little girl.

(Aly made over 200 of these little babies-WOW and YUMMY is all I can say!)

Cake-Pops added a great burst of color to the dessert table!!!!

 

First, I should say that there is no possible way this event would have happened without some serious help from friends.  Some helped with food, some with decorations and set-up, some with serving and many with ideas! I truly could have never pulled this together without all of their assistance and encouragement.  I spray painted more things than I care to count, and visited more thrift-stores than I ever knew existed, but it was such a blast doing it and seeing it all come to life!!!  Ainslie was worth it all and I know she had a blast.  

(Natalie designed the cute chalk-board for one of the games, along with help with invitations and other games)

 

 

I was really worried about the weather-it was supposed to be a 60% chance for rain, but boy did we luck out......I don't think I have ever prayed for it to NOT rain, but this time I did, and I was so grateful!!  We had perfect weather.....a bit humid during the day, which made for a really sweaty set-up, but otherwise it was perfect!  A bit of a breeze and cloudy, so no beating sun- amazing!! 



(Friends enjoying their meals and some good company)

 

It really was fun getting to see so many friends and family!!!  I felt like I was at a reunion and it was so great to get to catch up with everyone.  Of course, I didn't get to visit with as many people as i wanted to, but it was still nice to chat for awhile and give hugs.    I do wish I had done a better job at taking pics throughout the  night though....I have  a lot of pre-party pics, and only a few during the actual party.  In fact, after the party started, I saw Ainslie only one time, so the pic at the beginning of this is the only I got of her all night....oops!!!



My favorite thing to plan, was the candy-bar.  I had so much fun finding old fashioned candies for it and designing the set up of it!!  All the kids really enjoyed this as well and went home well sugared up- I am sure none of the parents were too happy with me...hehe!

The cotton candy was a big hit,,,,huge thanks to friends who donated the machine, and to friends who ran it for me.  It was so humid outside that it took awhile to get the consistency right, but the kiddos still loved it and ate it right up.  I was mostly just glad that it was easy to clean up---because it was S-T-I-C-K-Y!! :)

(Myrlon and Travis chillin on the lawn)

 

 

Our friends, the Drapers, were kind enough to let us use their property for the party.  Can I just say what a perfect place it was!!!  They had this awesome canopy frame that they set-up for us and put lights on for all the tables to go under, then they have amazing grass, which made it so nice for everyone to just hang-out on.  We set-up hay bales and some random adirondack chairs for people to sit on and visit on. It was really neat to see so many people there (about 200ppl) visiting and enjoying their time.  All of them there to celebrate with Ainslie and to wish her well and congratulate her on her year of being CANCER-FREE!!!  It took a lot of strength to be overwhelmed with emotion.



(BEST sugar cookies ever....and they were super cute too!!)

 

 

As you can see, a lot went in to the Carnival, and I could not have done it on my own.  Ainslie had a blast, and that was all I cared about it, but the fact that it looked cute too, made me happy :)

(Dessert Table..mmmmmm!!!)

(Table area for eating)

(From the porch looking out at all the fun)

 





We had about 10 different games for the kids..or adults.... to play....  We had duck find, ring toss, basketball shooting, skee ball, balloon dars, goldfish toss (all the fish died before we even got to the party, so we had to do plastic penguin), volleyball and horseshoes, knock-em down and a bean-bag toss.  The wonderful girls from our youth group at church volunteered their time to run the booths.....I had promised them a chance to rotate and the opportunity to eat first and completely forgot.......I hope they forgive me and my over-loaded brain!!  They really did a great job and all the kids had fun, which is what was important!!







(Brecken with his eye-ball from the prize table)

(Shelly cooking up some yummy popcorn)

(Aunt Danielle and Grandma Patrice enjoying the lawn)

(Lemonade stand with lots of choices)

(Ainslie's friends Claire playing one of the games)

(Beautiful Ky enjoying the nice day)

(Say cheese!!! Our "Photo" Booth!)

 

(The balloon guy was a HUGE hit- thanks Cory!!)

 

The prize table was crazy- the kids had so much fun winning tickets and taking them to the prize table to get their prizes.  I was really worried that I wouldn't have enough prizes, but I actually ended up coming home with some things...now what to do with them?? LOL!

 

(the birthday girl- Great-Grandma made her cake)

I think we were all having so much fun that we didn't want the night to end, but it always has to end sometime.  I had mixed emotions when it was all said and done.....sad for it to end and for friends to go home, but so glad that we were celebrating such an event.  I never want to have to go through what we went through last year, with Ainslie. I never want to see her suffer and be in the kind of pain she was in again.  I only want to see the giggles and smiles that I saw at this party!!! 
Happy Birthday Ainslie!!!! And Happy 1-YEAR Anniversary my darling!!!

xoxoxo, Mom!