Cowboy birthday fun

 We went to the birthday party of our friends Mackenzie and Luke on Saturday. Kenz turned 5 and Luke is now 3, and I've been friendly with their mom since the girls were in Gymboree and then Stroller Strides together when they were infants.

Here, Cora is being turned into a beautiful butterfly...

 ...while sister wanted a tiger. She also requested a snake, but I wasn't keen on that idea. Then, when the tiger was almost done, she asked for an owl.

 Violet loved her tiger hand, and Cora was equally thrilled with her butterfly face.

 Here's why it's so hard for me to get a good shot of the girls smiling together - so often when Violet tries to smile, it looks like this.

Both girls were really excited to ride horses. The cowboy-themed was held at a private ranch, and little rides around the property were part of the fun.
After I told Violet in the morning what we were doing, she talked nonstop about "Violet riding horsey." She had absolutely no fear of the horse; she really loves animals.

Sadly this is the best photo I got of the birthday kids, as Jaimie readied their cupcake candles for blowing.
Chasing Violet around the ranch took most of my energy. Thankfully my mom was able to come for some of the party, since Stace was at work, or I'd hardly have seen Cora!

Thanks, Jaimie, for such a fun afternoon. We loved it!