Happy Birthday, Emily!

Emily turned the big 3 on the 26th while we were at the beach. We had a fun lunch-time celebration with the main attraction (besides Emily herself) being the much-anticipated "horsey cake" my mom made. Emily had known about it for months and couldn't wait to see it. It turned out perfectly and she loved it. She also got lots of gifts and had a good time opening them. Thank you, Mom and family, for making it such a special day for Emily!

Opening presents

She LOVES the "furry blanket" from Grandma

More presents

She was thrilled to receive a Cinderella figurine set. We found it at Disneyland and thought it would be a huge hit.

Emily LOVES stuffed animals and was in heaven when she got this rattley elephant.

The cake: Jr. Mint eyes and nose, licorice string eyelashes, Bubble Tape eyelid and mane. It was awesome!

With Grandma and her amazing creation.

Cutting the cake.

Yummy cake!

Happy birthday, Emily! We love you!

I couldn't help but post these last pictures. It's crazy what dramatic changes happen in just three years.

Emily's actual birth-day - 06/26/05 @ 10:12 a.m.

Her 1st birthday.

Her 2nd birthday.

Her 3rd birthday - 06/26/08

Disneyland

While on vacation in California, most of us took a day off from the beach to hit Disneyland. It was our kids' first time and they really seemed to enjoy it. Things worked out great for us the whole day: perfect traffic there and back, both kids were under 3 and therefore got in for free, our camera battery miraculously lasted the whole time, our kids did really well getting lugged around all day with no naps, short lines for the rides, Emily got to see Cinderella at nearly the last possible minute. We couldn't have asked for a better time.

Burnham Family Reunion 2008 - Capistrano Beach

We just spent a week at the beach with my immediate family: my mom, my 5 siblings, and their families - 38 people in all. We stayed in a huge beach house right on Capistrano Beach and had a fantastic time. It was the first time our kids had ever seen the ocean. They loved digging in the sand and letting the waves wash over their feet. Danny and I enjoyed lounging on the beach, boogie boarding, and hanging out with family.

My mom is an amazing planner and had each day planned with meals, kitchen helpers, snacks, and activities like bonko, a sandcastle building contest, skits, decorating cookies, Chinese Day, chocolate fountain, a beach olympics, roasting s'mores, a fireside, and games. She did a stellar job making it fun for everyone of all ages and allowing great interaction between cousins, aunts, and uncles. Thanks for such a FANTASTIC time, Mom! We loved every minute of it!