As mothers we all want our kiddos to have the best birthday ever! It shouldn't matter how big or small, fancy or plain the birthday is planned...oh no. What matters is the look your child gives to you along with the thank you's, and that huge smile displayed on their face when they look at the cake you made along with the sweet gifts that come along with it.
On the day of Noah's birthday we went out of town, and since we got home too late to do the cake, and open presents we decided to celebrate the following morning which was fine with him. Luckily he doesn't get the meaning of "the cake"yet. I know next year will be a whole different story, and that he will want cake on his actual birthday!
On this day my heart was filled with so much joy knowing that Noah expresses his appreciation with lots of hugs, kisses, and smiles.
This was this third birthday, and he didn't celebrate with anyone but us. Not that we are introverts, but it's kind of fun that way. I know that if we had family close by we'd definitely be celebrating all of our kids birthdays with them, but for now it's just us. One of these days when he's a little older he'll have a "big boy" party, and invite a few friends.
We sang happy birthday to him, and look how cute he is while we sang to him...
At the end of the day I bought three balloons, and we drove out to a nearby field where he let them go. It wasn't a big deal when he let one go, but the second one made him frown that we decided to let him keep the third balloon. It was so fun though watching him holding the balloons one by one, and then letting them go up in the sky.
He may be still too little to comprehend what a wish is when he blows out his candle, or what the significance is as to why we have balloons on their birthdays, but he'll get it as he grows up.
No matter how big or small we plan our kids birthday's what matters at the end of the day, (or in our case weekend) is the smile they give when it's all over!
Happy birthday Noah! Hope that by glancing at these photos will spark a memory when you are older!
Noah has been obsessed with trains since he turned two, and I am loving this phase of his. When Jill told me about a place called the Red Caboose in Pennsylvania I had no idea what this place was about. All I knew is that when she commented on my post about Noah going through a train phase she mentioned the word caboose, and I was sold.
After looking it up online I knew this was the perfect place to take Noah for his third birthday, and we did.
Well, the Red Caboose is actually a motel with train cars redesigned into guest rooms, and let me tell you...it was interestingly fun.
It is such a nice, laid back place in a quiet little corner in Lancaster County. All the kids had a grand time walking through the motel, and because its peak season there wasn't a lot of people which made it easier to take a few pictures of all of the cabooses.
It was also a benefit for Noah since he was running all over the place, and on the train tracks. Don't worry...they don't work.
I hardly ever see cabooses anymore. It's almost as if they have become obsolete. This one caught my eye, and since Lexie and I are the only ones in the family born in Texas I just had to take a picture of us in front of this train car.
I have a huge amount of respect for is the Amish. We saw buggy cars all over this county, and it amazes me how they live. Sometimes I wonder how life would be without technology. Probably chaotic, but there are some of us who can live without it. I'm sure I'd be going through a little withdrawal since I've been blogging more, but if I had to give it up I know I would. We were without electricity for almost 24 hours last year when Irene hit, and that wasn't so bad!
This was such a beautiful, quiet, place with a lot of space to run. I wish I could live here sometimes!
They also have a toy train museum in the back of the motel as well as a restaurant & gift shop full of vintage train cars to add to a train set. I wish I had a lot of money to have bought a few train cars. The gift shop also has a huge train display in which you pay 50 cents to have it run. Luckily there was another person in there who paid to get it started, (and made sure it worked!) Then I paid to have it run again. Noah was in awe!
We had dinner on a train cart, and the food here was delicious. If you like Amish cooking then you came to the right place.
The girls had so much fun sitting inside a train car eating their dinner.
Noah's birthday weekend has been so much fun, and I really don't want it to end! We sure did love this place, and next time we come we are going to spend the night here! So if you have a kid who loves trains, and if you're into vintage train cars...I totally recommend this place.
