~Celebrating our Mary~

 ~Gramp and Gram came over on Friday before Mary's birthday, so here is Gram giving Mary her present.~

 ~Years ago I got a cake pan to make a checkerboard cake.  So, I had fun making a pink and white Checkerboard cake for Mary's birthday. ~

 ~I got adorable Choral, Gray, and white pom poms from a friends' wedding (I rescued them from being thrown away) and planned Mary's birthday dinner around those colors. =)
Here's little Mary's place setting.~

 ~Mary's coffee cup.~

 ~I ran a gray and white chevron ribbon down the table as a table runner.~

 ~Her cute little spoon and fork.~

 ~In between the cake layers was my homemade Raspberry jam.
The icing was vanilla pudding mixed with 1 1/2 cups milk and instant coffee.
Then I stirred an 8 oz. coolwhip into it.
It was DELISH...but was more runny than I had planned, so my plans changed for the top of the cake.
I just put down a small piece of saran wrap and used a BRAND NEW gray and white polka dotted hair bow I had just purchased for Abigail as the topper. =) ~

 ~Mary and her table.~

 ~I made raspberry lemonade and Laura made a pear salad that perfectly matched my table.  =) ~

 ~I hung the choral and white pom poms in between the L.R. and D.R.   The Hausmans were able to join us for Mary's little celebration.  (Sadly, Daddy was in Colombia and couldn't be here.) ~

 ~Her pink and white Checkerboard cake.~

 ~Mary opening her gift from Darla and Bryan and family.~

 ~Mary in person!  =) ~

 ~Mary and her SIDEKICK...Elijah!~

 ~Mary's tiny sister Abigail.  =) ~

 ~We made Colombian Arepas and coffee for Mary's birthday breakfast.  An arepa is sort of like a cake made out of corn flour, with cheese in it.  It is very popular in Colombia and reminds us of the taste of Popcorn, due to the salt in it and the butter it is cooked in.~

 ~Mary's gifts.  A whole lot of LITTLE gifts...put into big gift bags.  =) ~

 ~Mary wearing her new blouse from Grandpa and Grandma!~

 ~our family loves to do S'mores, so I thought this blouse was fitting.~

 ~Mary opening gifts.~

 ~She got a little metal tea set, which she is enjoying with her brothers.~