Harrison Happily Ever After: Anna Claire's Third Birthday Tea

If I had to pick my favorite hobby, it'd be planning parties, especially birthday parties for little girls. Anna Claire's third birthday tea party was lots of fun this weekend. I learned a few things: No matter the time of day, outdoor parties in late July will be hot, prefabbed, plastic table skirts won't look good, no matter how hard you try, and outdoor kitties will make a mess of everything prior to the party, if given the chance. Other than those mishaps, the party was perfect. Anna Claire and Megan had a fun time, and that was the main objective.

As many of you know, I lost my Dad on July 14 after his battle with pancreatic cancer. While ironic that his death coincided with Anna's birthday, I find peace in the timing. Every year, we will have the opportunity to celebrate his life along with Anna's birthday. The two adored one another, so there is a silver lining to the coinciding dates. In his memory, we started a new tradition this year. At the conclusion of the party, we released balloons into the sky. Anna Claire was thrilled to send balloons to Papa in heaven. I look forward to continuing this tradition in the years to come. What a wonderful way to keep Dad's memory alive for our family.

Megan's tenth birthday party is scheduled for next weekend. The Harrison home will host 20+ little girls for a sleep over. Start praying folks!