Klinkers in Kentucky: Birthday Trip to Cincinnati

Paul was out of town for a couple nights this week, so the kids and I drove to Cincinnati on Tuesday to visit Ben and Brooke and their girls for a night. The timing worked out perfectly because we were able to do a small birthday celebration for Ella with her best bud, Julia.

Ava is like a little teenager talking on her cell phone with a baby on her hip.

The girls all played really well together. Ava especially LOVED little Ali. I think she pretended she was her baby. She carried her on her hip the majority of the time we were there. Ali seemed to love it too and would even fuss sometimes when Ava would put her down. They were an adorable pair together.

Like usual, Max slept the majority of the visit. He really is such a sweet, easy baby.

Max rockin' the button-up with rolled sleeves

Brooke put up a birthday sign and bought a cookie cake for Ella so we could sing to her.
She was eating up all the attention!

The weather was absolutely perfect while we were there. We spent the whole evening outside. The girls ran around all evening playing tag, coloring with chalk, riding bikes, and playing in the sand. They especially loved to play monster and all screamed and giggled as they tried to run away from Ben. These pictures were too cute not to share :)

The girls enjoyed helping Ben burn branches in their fire pit. Ben and Brooke had three large trees taken down in their backyard and are trying to burn up the leftover branches and twigs.
The girls were happy to help.

I thought this was so cute of the girls crossing their arms while trying to blow on the fire.

Ella played contently in the sandbox for hours. She was in her element.
I guess I should finally buy some sand for our sandbox at home.

Ben and Brooke were really so sweet to host us. The girls were pretty good during our visit, except there was about one hour of time where everything seemed to go wrong. It was like the perfect storm. It started with a lemonade spill all over the kitchen floor, then Ella broke a necklace and beads went flying everywhere, then there was a bathroom mess to clean up when Ella went potty in the baby potty and tried to transfer it to the big potty unsuccessfully, then I had to fish out a whole roll of toilet paper from one of their toilets put there by one of the younger culprits (ahem, Ella), then Ava ran right into Julia's face when playing tag leaving a big red bump, then Julia got kicked in the mouth while Madeline was swinging and there was blood everywhere, and the baby was crying...it was crazy times twelve!!! Not too many people would invite us back after all that. But Ben and Brooke shook it off like it was no big deal. They are saints, I tell you!!! Luckily the rest of the visit was much less eventful!

Sweet Julia

Baby blue eyes

See Madeline's tutu...she wore that the whole time we were there

Rose made a huge Happy Birthday sign on the back patio out of chalk for Ella. It was so sweet!

Birthday girl

Silly faces are her favorite!

At bedtime, the girls all laid out their sleeping bags on the floor of Julia's room saying that they were having a "sleepover". It was so cute to see them all lined up like that.

Julia peeking out from her little cage ;)

The girls got up bright and early, as they always do at someone else's house and were asking to go outside by 7:30 in the morning. We distracted them for a little while with the donuts we brought for breakfast. We always try to have a special treat for breakfast on the kids' birthdays,
so we picked up some donuts for Ella's birthday morning treat.

Nothing like sugar to start the day!

Morning faces

Baby in his adorable froggy jammies

The girls playing Little House on the Prairie...taking a ride in their carriage

On Wednesday afternoon, we met up with my childhood friend, Katie, and her girls for a picnic lunch at a nearby park. I have known Katie since I was four. She was our neighbor when we lived in Cincinnati and we have kept in touch over the years. She just happens to have a daughter Ava's age, Madeline's age, Ella's age, and one between Ella and Max. They were perfect playmates for my girls.

Emma, Julia, and Madeline feeding the ducks

Ella ran to higher ground to get away from the ducks

Katie's daughter Emma, a friend Rose met at the playground, Rose, and Madeline feeding the ducks

Julia stealing a few bites of bread for herself ;)

Ali peeking over the fence...she is not about to be left out!

Trying to get a good picture with the birthday girl who did NOT want to be photographed!

Look at those pout lips :)

Katie and I (and Max :)...it was so great to catch up with her!

All the kiddos, sans Allison

It was such a great visit!

The whole crew....ALL girls except for little Maximus

Tonight we celebrated Ella's birthday as a family. She picked pizza and breadsticks, chocolate milk, strawberries and blueberries, and cake and ice cream for dinner.

Oh and the band-aid is covering a little scrape from a fall earlier today.

She always insists on a silly picture :)

...or two!

She opened presents after dinner. Each of the girls found something of theirs to wrap up and give to her too. It was funny to see what they came up with.