Charlie Grace is Two!

I know it's been said, but time just really goes by too fast. As I was preparing for Charlie's second birthday, I found myself perusing old pictures of her and it truly seems like another lifetime that she was a baby! It's only been TWO YEARS!

Last year, we did a big Garden Party for Charlie's first birthday. We went all out and it was just dreamy. This year (and all years between 1 and 5) we decided to keep it "simple." I was made fun of for my version of simple, but how about you do your thang, I'll do mine. ;)

Charlie is currently baby & bear-obsessed, so instead of planning entertainment, we decided to head to Build a Bear! We invited our besties and spent the morning bringing our newest fuzzy friends to life! This was SO MUCH FUN and absolutely brilliant. No prep, organizing, or clean-up. Total blast for both kids and adults. And we walked away with some stinkin cute new friends. 

We let the kiddos take their time exploring the store, choosing the details of their new friends, and just enjoying the morning. If you don't know this crew, Rubie is the daughter of my college roommate and bestie, Rachel. And Penny is the daughter of Brian's college roommate and bestie, Josh. All of us got married in the same summer and then we all had girls around the same time. How stinkin sweet is that?!

After Build-A-Bear, we headed home, where the house was ready for some more festivities! We had a Mac and Cheese Bar (macaroni + bacon + pulled pork = Charlie's favorite foods) and a donut "cake" (meaning a cutie stack of donuts from the local shop). Low prep, high impact! Add a few balloons and streamers, some messy confetti, and voila!

When the time came to sing happy birthday, she melted down and fell to the floor. Don't ask. I have no clue what got into her. She seems to have a flare for the dramatic. She recovered quickly when it was time to eat her doughnut! She only ate the toppings, though. Weirdo. 

Between two sets of grandparents and two sets of aunts and uncles shipping gifts down in advance, this sassy two year old had quite the stack before her guests even arrived. She made out with a TON of new babies and accessories... all of which she thoroughly enjoys.

We are INCREDIBLY grateful to have this spunky, chatty, two year old to complete our little family. She's everything I imagined and more. I cannot wait to see what her future holds! Happy Birthday, Charlie Grace! And thank you to all of our friends and family for making this day so perfect!