A Bugsday to Remember

I recently posted a really sappy Facebook post about Taylor and what a sweet spot our marriage is in. The truth is, I still feel like I should butter him up after last week.

Some of my favorite humans invited us to go to the Hillsong concert here and, for once in the past 3 years, we were on time. Showered, dressed, kids handed off, and pulling up to the venue with 20 minutes to spare.

I’d never been to the American Airlines Center, so I didn’t know what to expect, but apparently the lot was pretty empty.

Taylor: Why isn’t anyone here?
Me: I don’t know. Maybe it’s a small crowd.
Taylor: No, like, not a single car is here.
Me: I mean I don’t know what to tell you. *reading the tickets* It starts at 7pm at the Veri….oh no. Ohhhh no.
Taylor: Did you just say Verizon? As in Verizon theater? As in not American Airlines Center?

Attention to detail isn’t exactly my strong suit.

But you know what is? Giggling when I shouldn’t. Like, for instance, when I take us to the exact wrong venue in the middle of rush hour traffic.

Somehow, miraculously, we made it all the way to the other theater before the concert started.

And it was amazing.

Well worth the trip around the state of Texas.

And it perfectly rounded out our month of birthday festivities.

August is always a crazy month for us with 3 out of 4 family members’ birthdays. (Well, 4 out of 5 if you count our nub-tailed dog. Bless him…he hardly ever gets counted anymore.)

Taylor’s birthday was perfectly understated, as requested. He makes me promise every single year not to get him a present or tell anyone it’s his birthday. Sweet man married the exact wrong person if he thinks either of those are ever a possibility.

My birthday was wonderful and full of surprises. I get to call the most generous, thoughtful, hilarious people on planet earth my friends. They lunched, cake popped, Jelly Bellied, gifted, and texted me. Makes me all teary-eyed to think about it.

And after both of our birthdays: Beckett’s turn. The big 3.

The birthday where my title officially became “the boyest boy mom on earth”.

I’m not the best hostess in the world, nor do I love hostessing.

But.

I love people and parties enough that I get really excited about birthdays. I don’t love having to plan a menu and make sure people have napkins and stupid stuff like that, I just want to pick out the costumes everyone will wear while playing themed games.

(Siri, make a note to hire a party planner and hostess when we’re rich.)

So I asked B-man a few months ago what kind of party we should have.

“Bugs.” he said.

“Done.” I said.

It’s a great boy theme anyway, but the fact that his pronunciation of “birthday” kinda sounds like “bugsday” really sealed the deal.

One trip to Dollar Tree, a few Pinterest surfs, and one very full Costco cart later…

Even though we forgot a group picture, and even though Beckett was possibly sick at the time of the party, and even though a few of the girls cried the morning of because they didn’t want to go play with bugs….it was a day of good, clean fun.

As on my own birthday this year, I was humbled to see so many amazing family friends in one place. Old neighbors, new neighbors, church friends, library story time friends, birth class friends, childhood friends…all in one place, celebrating with us.

Makes my heart kinda gooshy.

In order to have a successful bug party, here’s what you need to know/aquire:

1. The printables from the Spaceships and Laserbeams Etsy shop.
2. Giant bugs at Hobby Lobby. Must-purchase for everyday life.
3. Amazon bag of 144 assorted bugs + a swimming pool full of sand + Dollar Tree bug catchers = the perfect bug-digging set up.
4. This list of 20 Bug Themed Birthday Party ideas.

While August is insane with its birthday festivities and ungodly amount of cake consumption, it’s also a completely humbling, joyful one. We serve a gracious God who has blessed us with more than our fair share of amazing friends. We are forever grateful to do life with these people.

Here’s to years 28, 27, and 3…the last of which might very well be the end of us all. Time will tell.