Backyard Birthday Parties

With three daughters, my backyard has seen dozens of birthday parties. We’ve had Cinderella parties, Wizard of Oz parties, Triathlon Parties, Fashion Show Parties, Irish Dancing Parties, Harry Potter Parties, Astronaut Parties…I literally can’t name them all…well, I could but it would take up pages! Birthday parties are a very big deal at our house, but that’s actually the key.

For the most part, my daughters’ birthday parties were here at our house, in our backyard, home-made by mom and dad. We’ve had snow blown onto our front lawn for a Snow Party, we moved all the furniture out of our living room for the Michael Jackson Dance Party, we hung inflatable soccer balls from the pine in our front yard for the Soccer Party, we created a Finish Line in our driveway for the Kiddie 5K … and so much more.

It’s been a joy to celebrate the passage of years with a birthday party each year for my three girls, and I have loved every thing about it. I loved planning with my daughters to make sure that the party was just what they wanted, I have loved having my daughters’ classmates and friends over to celebrate, I’ve loved planning the menu, the games, the favors. It’s all been a delight.

And it still is! Even though my daughters are now grown, and have homes of their own, I still insist on birthday celebrations each year. And our party planning traditions are still intact. The party is always of their own choosing…they decide when and where, and most times our family parties are still here, in the home that they grew up in.

That was the case today, when my oldest daughter celebrated her first quarantine birthday. She and her partner had planned to go camping on her birthday, and wanted to leave early to get on the road. No problem – a breakfast birthday party in the backyard!

I enjoyed dressing up the backyard patio with my fancy linens, and birthday decorations. Even the artichoke bloom got into the act! It was fun to use some of the elegant china and crystal that has been languishing in the cupboard…a little Belleek, a little Waterford, a little Wedgewood, my glass hurricane lamps. It made me happy to treat my daughter to the finer things on her birthday. But the crowning glory was the chandelier!

The chandelier was a gift from my middle daughter, because she knows how much I love decorating for parties! You must watch the video above! Even though it’s just cellophane and plastic, the chandelier is spectacular, maybe one of my favorite decorations of all time!

And that’s why I love my backyard so much. So many beautiful adventures. The perfect place to make memories.