Vienne's 6th Birthday

Well, exactly one week ago from today, we celebrated Vienne's 6th Birthday.  I just realized today that Vienne was actually born on a Thursday too.  This was the first Thursday since her birth that we celebrated her day.  

As I promised last year, I have chosen to be happy on her Birthday each year.  I kept my promise last week.

This year's celebration was just as great of a turn out as last year's and I am thankful for that.  I am very thankful for all the help we received and for all of the participation and support.  

This year, we chose to celebrate Vienne's birthday at another one of her favorite parks - Barrows Park in Beaverton.  Vienne called this park "Dragon Park" for the concrete dragon sculpture that is there, which she used to ride on ~

{Vienne at age 2 1/2 riding the dragon}

This special park was also chosen because we were gifted with a beautiful bench plaque that we scheduled to have installed on the morning of her Birthday.  The plaque was gifted to us by my Mom and Stepdad along with some dear friends of theirs who have fallen in love with Vienne, Ann and Doug Menke.  Doug works for Tualatin Hills Park and Rec who helped make this happen.  The pictures are below.

We continued the tradition of planting wildflower seeds at the park.  I incorporated a new activity for the children, which will continue as tradition in every year following this one.  I filled a basket with tiny dinosaurs for the kids to hide around the park and leave behind for another child to find.  Each dino had a little tag with a note on it for the child when it was found.  You will also see these below.  

The day was another HOT (90 degrees!!??) sunny day, like last year.  A perfect day for the park.  We invited our close friends and family and people who knew Vienne.  

Here are the photos:

{this is a horrible photo, but this is the little bag of seed bombs that were made for our church family.  My friend, Jessica, helped and organized a seed bomb making party.  We rolled seeds into air-dry clay, mixed with fertilizer.  Jessica took them home and put them in these darling little bags.  She enlisted, Andrea - a graphic designer at our church - for help, who designed the darling cards, which were attached.  If you notice on the card, the T-Rex is holding a blue hydrangea!  And, then a dino was also included in the bag…..my church family totally rocks.}

{a dino in the bag, with seed bombs and shredded crinkle paper filling}

{the back side of the card.  This bag and card was only handed out to my church.  I made something of my own for our party.  I just wanted to share what was done for us.  We are so thankful for the continued love and support from our church family.}

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{Tualatin Hills Park & Rec were also amazing in helping us to celebrate Vienne.  We scheduled the installation of the plaque for her Birthday, so THPRD offered to set up the canopy as well as provide chairs for the party!…and then come and pick it all up when the party was over.}

{And, here is the plaque!!  How freaking amazing is this??!!  The "photo" is actually in color.  I have NEVER seen a plaque like this.  We are so touched and amazed by this incredible gift.  There are no words.  If you live in the Portland area, please go and visit the bench.  Leave Vienne a flower!}

{We suggested that if anyone wanted to bring a gift for Vienne, they could bring her a bouquet of flowers, to set on the bench.  Here is a photo of the beginning of that collection of sweet bouquets, along with Ivy and her sweet cousin, Miriam.}

{We moved the canopy over the picnic table and set up a few things that I had planned for the party.  Here, in front, are remembrance cards, printed on handmade seed paper for the guests to take home and either keep or plant in their yards.  In the basket behind, are the seed bombs…just to grab and toss into the wetlands that line the edge of the park.}

{Seed bombs.  They either looked like poop balls…or chocolate truffles.  Actually, most everyone thought that they were truffles!  Good thing there was a sign. ;)}

{in the basket on the left are the tiny dinosaurs with little tags tied to them.  The dinos were for the kids at our party to hide anywhere at the park and leave behind for another child to find.  On the tags, I printed this little saying that Mark helped to create:  "Hi!  My name is Dino and I like warm hugs!  I was left here for you to find in memory of a little Girl named Vienne who loved dinos and adventures and making friends.  Today, on May 1, Vienne would be 6 - give Dino a hug and send her a sweet wish.  xo"}

{Made two types of cupcakes again - Grain/dairy free and Gluten free.  True to tradition, honoring Vienne's last birthday request, the chocolate cupcakes are decorated with green frosting and purple polka dots.  And I added a few candy dinos here and there.  (Thank you to my Sis, Kate, for making one of the batches xoxo)}

{I was pretty proud about how they turned out}

{the melted gluten free version}

{Vienne's Aunt Kinsey, my dear friend and sis in law, made Vienne this gorgeously creative dino and gnome garden.  UUHHHH-Mazing!}

{check out the little door and the hiding dinos…there are little honey bees and flowers…oh the pics don't do it justice.}

{sisters and cousins}

{it was a great turn out of dear friends and family}

{me with Asher and Elijah - two of Vienne's good friends}

{in a social gathering, you can ALWAYS find Mark playing with the kids.  ALWAYS.  He tends to veer from adult socializing.  He says that kids are way more fun and entertaining.  I love my husband.}

{Ivy Girl}

{look how big she is getting!}

{Cousin Elliott down the slide and Jenna watching on}

{Caleb and Ivy.  Caleb is of one Vienne's best friends and there is a true connection between these two already}

{long time friends - Donny and Mark}

{I love how Ivy loves Uncle Seff (Seth)}

{Cutie girls - Ivy and Sophie}

{Isn't she a beauty??}

{Me with Emily - one of Vienne's old dear friends.  I was so so touched that Emily could come.  She gave me some of the sweetest hugs.}

{Our dear friends, the Atienzas.  So glad they were here this year!  Last year, they were in Hawaii and missed the park celebration.  Love you guys.}

{Ivy loves her Auntie Eileen}

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**Now, here are some photos that were submitted to me to share.  Photos of seed plantings for Vienne.**

*The Hernandez Boys*

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*The Daggett Family**

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*The Kerns Family*

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*The Goetze Family*

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*The Villalobos Family - another grieving family with a new angel in Heaven * 

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*The Miller Family*

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*Laura Green*

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*The Browns & The Stricklands*

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*The Partridge House Preschool!*

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*Pam & Ryan!*

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*Maddy Pierson*

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*David Piscitelli*

 {Mark's brother, who couldn't make it down for the day so he visited the duck pond where he had taken Vienne and Elliott, one time, to feed the ducks.  Revisiting an sweet old memory on her Birthday.}

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*Brittani Morton, Brittany Hill, Erin Cowen, & Cassie Boyd*

{A group of Vienne's friends and their mommies gathered at a nearby park and celebrated Vienne's birthday together.  They released balloons and shared cupcakes.  So sweet to my heart.}

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE, AGAIN, FOR TAKING THE TIME TO REMEMBER AND CELEBRATE VIENNE'S LIFE THIS YEAR.  WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR YOUR CONTINUED LOVE AND SUPPORT.

THIS KIND OF PARTICIPATION MEANS THE ABSOLUTE WORLD TO US.  SERIOUSLY.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY SWEET GIRL.

OH, I MISS YOU SO MUCH IT HURTS.  STILL.  ALWAYS.  FOREVER.  I WILL ACHE FOR YOU FOREVER…UNTIL I AM WITH YOU AGAIN.  I LOVE YOU 

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH.

XOXOXO