Mike's 30th Party

It was so much fun to Surprise this boy with a party to say good-bye to his twenties :) And it was really hard! Mostly hard to get everything done without him knowing. Mike's favorite colors since birth have been red and black, so the color palette was a given. His sister Sarah made this cake for him. Thanks Sarah! On the inside there is red velvet layer and a chocolate layer with white frosting in the middle. Gotta keep the color scheme!


Here's the invitation I made for Mike online. I just chose a format that was already made and input my own information and photo. The colors were unchangeable, so it's not in the color scheme, but it's boyish!... That counts for something right?
I made a balloon wreath with all sorts of colors, but my friend Jessie has loved the colors red and black since birth as well, so she did her wreath in those colors (of course). She was kind enough to let us use it for Mike's party.

Family and friends chatting it up.

Our Cruz friends came from all the way across town (basically another world away). They have two girls the same ages as ours and we have a lot in common, but just can't seem to get together! We were so glad you could come!

Me and the 30 year old. Don't I look so much younger than him? Yes, I'm still in my twenties :)

Bustin' out the moves in Wii's Just Dance 2. Love it!!

I just love me some good friends. We had a babysitter that night so I was able to actually hold a conversation with people instead of just a 10 second, "hi, how are you?... oh I gotta go chase my kids now. See ya!" conversation. So. Nice.

We had pizza, drinks and snacks - thanks to the Kanets. I wanted to do more but it was so hard to get things ready without Mike asking too many questions. I did manage to make homemade oreo cookies (aka whoopie pies) and had to lie about why I made them. I very rarely made treats so he was a little suspicious. They are his favorite! I'll have to post the recipe in a later post.

Mike's very own birthday banner that I will get to use for the next 10 birthdays at least.

I got a collection of photos of Mike throughout his 30 years and asked his gifted father to arrange them on the wall in the shape of 30. Mike really always was adorable. It was fun to see a glimpse into his life. AND to see how much Ellie looks like him.

I decided it would be fun to have him unwrap 30 gifts for his 30th. This was so hard! It really made us realize how many 30 really is! Guys, trust me, it's a lot!!! I remember my mom doing that for my sister Sarah's 20th. That would have been a lot easier (but still a challenge too!) It consisted of several "stocking stuffer" type presents - which was also hard because we just had Christmas! You can't go wrong with any Rebels attire (where the love for black and red stems I think) and I also made him a Hey Reb mustache. Can you believe he has forgotten to take it to any of the games??? Crazy, I know. Some of the better gifts were a bike (not just any bike, A TALL bike. They are expensive I tell you. So this one was used... and free. Thanks Hollingworths :). So naturally he got several bike accessories like a bell, and rear-view mirror to see the kids riding behind him in their bike trailer). I also had printed and bound his mission journal - he had typed it while on his mission in Seattle, but never printed it. He loved it!! I also mounted the antlers to his antelope that he got in 2008. He also got several more professional dress shirts for work. So fun. Ellie has been wanting to make him a crown for a long time. Perfect birthday present.

We love you daddy!!

Thanks everyone for coming and celebrating my cute husband's life with us. And for Mike's family in helping out with everything and letting us use your home to party in!