Payton almost turns 2...

We got to Erin & Eric's apartment ready to celebrate Payton's birthday!  Her actual birthday is the 28th, but that's always right around Thanksgiving & so many people are going so many directions Erin made a smart move & had her party the weekend before!  They moved back in October & this was the first time I've been to their new place.  It is SO much bigger than their old place!  They have a basement and an upstairs now.  It's really nice.

I couldn't NOT include a picture of the ceremonial 'all of us on electronic devices' pic.

 I was a bit jealous of Derik.  He was sleeping when we got there.  And kept sleeping.  And slept some more.  We were all talking & being loud...& he slept.  

 Even the little girls get play time on the electronics.  Grammy's cell phone has a dinosaur app that records their voice & plays it back in dinosaur talk.

 Brady tried several times to wake Derik up.  Soon after this pic, I had to pull Madelyn away from the strike zone because these two were flailing around & fighting.

 UHM when did Payton's hair get long enough for a pony tail?!

 Madelyn & me cheesin'!

 I'm not sure what B-rad had going on on his ipad, but everyone was huddled around it.

 Time for presents!   Madelyn & Cole were big helpers in the present opening department.  B-rad & I got her a baby doll.

 You can put her in the bathtub & everything.

 They seemed to like it.

 LOVE Madelyn's face here! 

 A tent!  Eric said they have to build tents all.the.time.

 That Erin is always thinking.  The Princess party was also perfect for uncle princess, er - I mean B-rad!!!

 

 After we cleared out the presents, we sang Happy Birthday!

 And Erin told her to blow out the candles... and she stuck her mouth right.on.the.candle!  OUCH!  She was fine - all of us gasping scared her!

 Cupcake heaven.

 I was never fast enough to get them shoving them in their mouths!

 The boys put up the princess tent.

 And notice who's right there in the middle AND is man-handling one of the new Dora toys?  Cole is having a hard time not being the baby anymore...

 Grammy got her this tu-tu!  Super cute!  And I know ya'll are tu-tu crazy 'round here - I heard her say she got it at Meijer.  Run, as fast as you can...

 Brady decided he could clean the ceiling fan that has no accessibility whatsoever.  This is an accident waiting to happen...

 The boys were gone for-ever & we finally found out they were in the basement working on the heat in Eric's truck.  I sent my agent, Cole, down to take pics.  He came back with this:  

I informed him this was not acceptable.  He needed to go try again...

He did a much better job the second time around.

 He even got the dash all torn apart!

But he also got some other things.  He'd go take pics & come back.  I'd look through them for approval & then send him back out for more.  And I found some funny stuff...

 

 This is taken through a paper towel tube.

 Great action shot...

 Me & Madelyn waaaaay down there!

 ?

 Sock...on his hand...

 Another sock...on his hand.

 Mmmmm...

 The girls kept looking up because the boys were throwing pieces of paper towels down on me.

Thanks to Erin & Eric for having us up for a whirlwind birthday par-tay for Miss Payton!  The food was great & your apartment is awesome!