Rayna is 4 years old!

It's true, we have a four-year-old! Just for memory's sake, here she is four years ago:

Obviously I have no bias, so I will just say, that is a perfect baby right there. :)

This year, we started our celebration the day before! We got a surprise package in the mail from Grandma and Grandpa Burton, with decorations, treats, and best of all, Hi-Ho Cherry-O! Rayna and Danny have a new favorite game. We have played it approximately one hundred times in the last 24 hours. :)

Rayna got to have a real birthday party for the first time this year. She picked the funnest theme: DOGS! She, Danny, and I had the best time getting ideas and supplies for the doggy party. Here was my favorite:

Cocoa Puffs in dollar store dog bowls. So hilarious.

Rayna invited the other kids from her new Primary class at church, and our neighbor who is Danny's age. We started the party in the basement with the toys.

Rayna picked her own birthday party outfit. I have learned to let go my own silly pride, and embrace the fact that she picks clothes that make her feel fabulous. :)

Rayna really wanted to play the classic, old-fashioned party games, so we adapted them to our doggy theme! She's getting ready to play Pin the Tail on the Doggy.

Danny was so excited to play! He follows Rayna's lead so much of the time.

Our next game was Doggy, Doggy, Where's Your Bone? You pass a dog bone around the circle while someone sits in the middle with their eyes closed. When the song ends, the person in the middle gets two chances to guess who has the dog bone behind their back.

Danny was beyond excited when it was his turn, and he was so good not to peek! He clenched his eyes shut like this the entire time.

Finally, we played Don't Eat Pete, with dogs. Ray and Danny loved helping make the poster, and all the kids loved eating the candy, of course. :)

Then it was lunch time! Grilled cheese, carrots, and gogurts. That is my kids' favorite lunch.

Can you see the bone cut-outs in the sandwiches? We used a cookie cutter, but left them inside the crusts, so as to encourage more eating. :)

Bowman tried to sell Rayna on the present game where you bonk the birthday kid on the head with their gifts....? I have never heard of it. And you can tell what Rayna thought about it:

It would probably have been a lot of fun, but she was much happier to be seated on the couch without the threat of physical harm. ;) 

This lucky girl has sweet friends who know just what she likes: everything!

Someone gave her a bubble necklace, which provided at least 10 uninterrupted minutes of glee for all the kids.

We finished by singing Happy Birthday and eating our doggy cupcakes!

We didn't get a picture of our basket of puppies. All the friends got to adopt a puppy (or two, or three... haha) from our basket to take home. Here are Rayna and her friend, with some newly adopted puppies:

And two kids being goofy:

We did remember to get a picture of a dog balloon. Each puppy in the basket had a balloon tied to its collar.

Then, on Rayna's actual birthday, she got to open her presents from her grandparents and from us. Grammy and Grandpa O gave her a craft! This girl loves crafts. She's making a butterfly pillow.

Then it was off to our favorite Korean restaurant, at Rayna's request. She loves her kimchi. :)

Danny is also all about the Korean food.

Four years old!

Happy Birthday Rayna!!!