Happy Birthday Carter and Patrick!

After the boys' campout birthday party last year, we said we would wait a few years before doing it again. We were wrong. They wanted another one and so did their friends, so we did it again! This year, I chose the military theme....we've never done that one before. The boys and their friends are very into this sort of play right now, so I thought it would be a fun party. I was happy that the party day fell on Carter's actual birthday....he turned 9!! We let him open his gifts from us as soon as he got up. Their party started at 6:00. We cooked hotdogs over the fire and then played a lot of military games. I set up a basic training course and timed each one of them as they went through it. They played a rescue game where they had to wrap the injured "man" in "bandages(toilet paper) and carry him back to camp. We hunted for the enemy (little army men) and learned to throw grenades. We ended with goody bags for everyone as their reward for making it through basic training.

We had cupcakes and opened gifts around 8:30. For the rest of the night, the boys all ran around with their glow sticks, canteens, whistles, toy guns, etc. and played. They stopped to make smores at one time and eventually settled down in the tent for board games....around midnight. We stayed up with them until 2:00 playing games and eating more hotdogs and smores. Eventually, we all fell asleep. I was happy that everyone stayed all night in the tent...all 11 of us!!

Yes, it was a lot of work and we were VERY tired the next day, but I truly do enjoy it as much as they do. Happy birthday to my boys!!!