8 is Great!

December 1st is a BIG day in our house! Not only is it the day we celebrate the little lady who made us parents, but Elfie arrives to kick off the holiday season. Elfie normally brings the kids new jammies, chocolate advent calendars, and a holiday movie or book. This year she delivered big with those items PLUS a Barbie advent calendar for the girls and a play dough calendar for Coop. 

 Of course, as is Stover fashion, Caroline woke up to a floor covered in balloons and doughnuts for breakfast. 

 8 is GREAT! Happy Birthday sweet Caroline! 

 three happy kiddos with doughnuts, surprises, and a visit from Elfie

the birthday girls and her Daddy

 girls LOVED the Barbie calendar (every day was a new accessory)

 the chocolate calendars are ALWAYS a hit! 

Coop loved his play dough calendar too!

 It's also tradition to go to dinner and then to Zoolights on Caroline's birthday night. She chose a restaurant that gives the kids IPads while they wait for their food, a HUGE deal for our kids without electronics! It's a good birthday when you get a dessert sundae as big as your head!

 ZooLights Fun! My camera died so this is the only pic of the fun night.

The next weekend Caroline had her birthday party, her first ever SLEEPOVER!!! She invited 5 friends and we packed the night full of fun birthday activities! 

the back sunroom was converted into sleepover heaven with lots of mattresses, decor, and the ceiling was covered in balloons that had 1/2 hour increments written on them. Every half hour the girls popped a balloon with a secret message telling what they would be doing for the next 1/2 hour. 

 our letter board has been really fun to write messages on lately

 Instead of goodie bags, I really believe birthday treats should be practical and fun! So the gifts for each girl as they arrived and to take home after the party were new matching pajamas. 

 The birthday girl is 8!!! How did that happen!?!?!?

Caroline and Claire

 Caroline and Shannon

 Caroline and Scarlett

 Caroline and Lily

 Caroline and Maddy

The first half hour was a little sleepover Mad Libs 

 they loved coming up for funny words

Popping another balloon..... I knew the girls would love having something different to do every 1/2 hour, but I didn't anticipate how much they would like the actual popping part! Since they loved that so much, we rotated and every had a chance to pop one or two. 

Pizza making time

 then it was time to decorate your own cupcake

 and of course sing HB to our girl

 lots of wishes 

 love these girls

 silly crazy and FUN

next up was my favorite part!  Decorating pillowcases! (I had Scarletts' teacher who is an incredible artist write the girls names with fun designs out for me)

its not a slumber party without a pillow fight!!!!

 their sweet pillowcases completed

 then it was time for gifts

 Next up was the girls making a fun popcorn treat at the popcorn bar

and then settling in to watch a holiday movie

The last balloon popped said to go to bed in their new SLEEP MASKS! 

thanks to their new sleep masks, all six girls were snoozing by 9:30 or so......not too shabby! 

In the morning we had doughnuts before all the moms came to take their girls home. 

It was so fun spending the night doing fun things with Caroline and all of her friends. I love all these sweet girls (and their mamas) and I'm so glad Caroline will be in school and build really strong friendships with them all the way through high school. 

Caroline we are so proud of the little leader you have become. You are so smart and try so hard at everything you do. You love fashion and have developed a really funny sense of humor. Most importantly though, you are kind, caring and considerate and always look out for others. You are the BEST big sister EVER and we don't know what we would do without you. LOVE YOU SO MUCH!