Dalila Turns Two!!

After much denial from her Mommy, Dalila's big day finally arrived.  She is officially a two-year-old (though she is fairly advanced, in that she welcomed the terrible-two mentality months ago)! Jeremy and I were able to find a fantastic, toddler-friendly venue for our little darling's party.  Ordinarily, this would just be an at-home affair, but the size of our flat would require a sardine theme, which I'm sure Dalila and her guests would not particularly enjoy.  Instead, we were able to book our local Golf Club restaurant.  Their beautiful lawn boasts a fun - and safe - toddler play area with a view of the practice tracks for the Sheikh's Arabian race horses.  The on-staff baker made a Mickey Mouse(esque) cake for Dalila, who squealed about "Mickey! Mickey!" as soon as she saw it.  Good friends came out to enjoy the party and shower Dalila with gifts - or tinsel, as you'll see in one of the following pictures.  We were extremely pleased with the success of our little missy's second birthday party. Enjoy the full story in pictures:

Dalila's big birthday gift!  This has been one of the best purchases we have ever made.  Her room is a great place to be for a toddler now, thanks to her fun swing and "whee!"

Dalila and I are getting ready to enjoy the celebration - but what is a birthday without a beautiful bunch of balloons just for the birthday girl!?  Her favorite thing all day was probably that Minnie Mouse balloon - a last minute gift that her Auntie Kari HAD to get for her.  Thanks, Auntie Kari!  Lila toted that balloon around with her everywhere she went for most of the party and a few days after, too.

This is a terrific shot of the view from the patio we reserved.  The jungle gym was the perfect size for Dalila and her toddler buddies, and the older kids loved the trampoline.  In the background is the racetrack where some of the Sheikh's prized horses practice.

Jeremy got a chance to hang on to the Minnie balloon - what a lucky daddy!

Dalila is admiring her Mickey Mouse cake.  They were just a tiny bit off on the colors, but she didn't seem to mind too much.

This is one of our favorite pictures of the whole day.  Dalila was SO excited to open this gift just for the tinsel inside.  I love all of her little buddies surrounding her, and the expression is priceless!

...and here's that tinsel shower I promised earlier.  Dalila couldn't get enough of it!

Here, Lila and her bestest buddy Bayne broke open Dalila's baby bottle gift and shared the contents.

I love the look on Bayne's face as he watches Dalila throw back a cold one!

Dalila and her little friend Natalie had loads of fun plucking the leaves from the bushes and throwing them on the ground - a game our little one invented and shared with anyone who cared to give her a moment of their time.  Such a thoughtful little thing, isn't she?







Nothing can truly substitute for the classic birthday party at home with our family, but Dalila's party came as close as possible.  We were so grateful to all of our friends who came to show their love to our little one!