I would love to say that this came together super easily and that I was completely composed the entire time. However, I felt like I should be honest and not just share the adorable photos of the event.
Monty loves his badger, Kevin, more than anything or person. So when coming up with a party theme, Kevin made it a pretty easy pick. A Badger Bash it was!
The bad news, NO ONE does badger themed parties. The good news, I wouldn't be copying anyone!
I worked for a couple weeks planning every detail. Badgers are tough, they never give up and they don't care. Badgers eat mice and snakes and worms and berries and really what ever they want. Because they are Bad A like that.
(huge thanks to my sissy for making his adorable cake)
All week we watched the weather. From blue skies and sunny to slightly cloudy to a guaranteed downpour and then back to no rain at all.
That morning weather was gloomy but not awful so we went up and claimed our spot. Grocery shopping, food preparing, decoration making. We worked like crazy from 6:40 am (Monty's wake up time) till an hour before the party. Then we watched as a MASSIVE downpour came through the canyon. I wish I could tell you that I was like the badger in this situation and didn't care. But I DID care, and call it hormones or whatever, I freaking lost it.(we forgot tongs so handy man Dane found another solution)
No matter how hard Dane tried to reason with me that all would be well, Monty didn't care if his party was perfect, and people wouldn't care if we canceled nothing helped because I cared. I was devastated, all this hard work I planned and put in and it was all for naught? I know what you are saying, I do because I have said it before,why do you care about a party for a 1 year old? I don't! But social media told me that it has to be the best damn party of all time or you are a failure of a mom! How lame is that, I preach to young girls all the time about how they should stop comparing their lives to social media and they don't know what happens behind the scenes and here I am doing the exact same thing. I cried like a teenager with broken heart. The time to either call it or head up the canyon came and with a little hesitation but determination (a badger-like quality) we pressed forward with our plans.
Let me tell, you when you act like a crazy person who gets devastated and can't be reasoned with over a one year old's birthday it doesn't exactly set a good mood with the husband. So he watched the Mont while I started setting up (all while crying and pleading with my Heavenly Father to stop the rain for just the party) It sounded so silly to me. There is storm headed this way, Heavenly father wouldn't just change a storm for this party, but I kept praying and praying.
My family arrived and got straight to work, I don't know why they thought I needed help... (Ok it might have been my tear stained face) My dad climbed up as far as he could on the mountain to try and see what the storm was doing and came down with bad news that the storm was headed right over us. (insert tears- I'm not joking you guys, I was a mess)
I went to the car to get the last box and then all the sudden the sky completely cleared. It could not be explained. This tender mercy was proof to me that even though my prayers seem silly to me and let's be honest would the whole world be devastated if we had to cancel the party? No. Nonetheless, my Heavenly Father heard my prayers and somehow that storm was gone within minutes and did not return until we finished packing up our stuff and got in our car.
Moral of the story
This is a small testimony to you that heavenly father hears our prayers no matter how small and pathetic they may be.
I felt like I should be transparent in this. The party came together great. Everyone came and we laughed and celebrated the best thing that has ever happened to us. Photos capture the perfect moments. But it didn't capture all the other stuff behind the scenes and I don't want anyone to think that it was perfect. Monty was sick, I was an emotional mess and lost all control of reasoning, Dane and I got into it over my craziness and I forgot essential items for the party.
It is possible that no one else feels the need to be perfect because of social media and honestly I didn't even realize it had gotten to me. I hope that even if only one mama reads this and IS feeling the pressure of social media, where you see the perfect clip of someones life but don't get the behind the scenes story, I hope that maybe this clears things up a little and you take a little pressure off. Because it would be been so much better if I didn't care.
Monty's party was so much fun. He had a blast seeing all his favorite people and trying new things, hot dogs, cake and Oreos. But I wish I could have been a little more like the badger. Fearless and determined and in the end not give a crap about everything. It is Monty's day anyway.
This was adorable and you are awesome! If you are ever wondering if you are doing a good job... you are doing a GREAT job Al! Love you! Monty is lucky he has you as a mom.
Posted by: Amy | 05/09/2015 at 06:51 PM