The Teddy Bear Picnic

How do you have a really great Teddy Bear Picnic you ask? Start out with a list of really great friends you want to hang out with on your birthday. Next, invite them each to come and join you with their favorite bear.

The next thing you need is some really crazy and creative guys to help pull it all together and make the magic happen. This is where two big brothers and a great friend come in handy.

Then you begin. This picnic required every one of the potted flowers that we own to be brought to the front yard and arranged under the giant white tent. Special displays were created with bears and other cute animals.

Fresh flowers were cut and put into vases and set all around the tents and tables.
Rose petals were scattered on the path way to the table and on the table itself. This added extra special aromas for these extra special guests.

All we needed now were our handsome waiters to escort these lovely ladies to their seats. One by one they were lead down the flower strewn pathway through the tents to the plate with the marshmallow flowers that held their names on them.

Ahh, look! Our handsome men, minus Gavin. (He already had his shirt changed and was off to the beach when we took the picture.)

Once seated and with music playing in the background, the party began. The waiters served the lovely guest from special platters, a selection of mini sandwiches, mini fruit cups, mini candy cups, pretzels, mini punch cups, and to finish it all off, petit four birthday cakes in an array of colors.
With some great friends helping me out (Shelly, Melanie, Angie, and Cari) this little tea party was a wonderful gift to Payton.

A little side note about this party... I sat down with Payton about two weeks ago to discuss her birthday. We talked about the fact that we didn't have extra money to do the specific party she had wanted to do and she was completely understanding. We brain stormed ideas of parties that we could do that might be just as fun. We ended up with this little idea. I prayed about ways to make it super special with what we had. Mark took Payton and a few of her friends to see the "free" movie at the mall and this was our chance to surprise her with my vision of this tea party. When they got back home, I wish you could have seen her face. It was like we had given her a private party at Disneyland. Her heart was so blessed. This is one of my favorite things about Payton. She truly desires to feel special, but she knows this has nothing to do with money or things. In the past, when asked what she wanted for her birthday (gift) she has asked for a party with her friends and cake. Boy can I take a lesson from my own daughter on being happy with what I have.

This party cost less than $30 and that includes the food, and goodie bags. It even included a very special early morning date for Payton and her daddy. Mark took her out for pancakes at the Market cafe before the movie. Nothing like a little daddy daughter date to start your birthday off right.














Thank you to all who came and helped bless Payton on her birthday. She had a wonderful time with each of you at the Mikkelson's Teddy Bear Picnic.