My husband’s family lives in Pittsburgh. Which means… living in Rhode Island, we don’t get the chance to see them much. In all reality, maybe about 4 times a year. It’s tough because I know they feel they miss out on things with the boys, and it’s not always easy for them – especially on my mother-in-law. Being a mother, I get it. I really, really get it. So… I try my absolute best keeping them up-to-date on everything with the boys. I’ve seen my own grandmother have grandkids that live far away from her, and feel completely disconnected from their lives. I vowed I would never, ever let that happen. Life’s too short for something like that. Family’s family, right? I want my sons to know and love every aspect of their family… it’s their roots. It’s where they came from.

Since my husband is not much of a “phone man,” all news usually comes through me. I’m the “gatekeeper” of all info… and make sure my mother-in-law is kept in the loop.

So… when I realized that Benjamin’s 3rd Birthday fell on Easter this year, I knew they’d be excited about that. For the last 9 years we have spent Easter with my in-laws. It’s one of those holidays that isn’t even questioned – if it’s Easter, we’re in Pittsburgh (with the exception of Benjamin being born 3 years ago near Easter, they came to us). What was cool about this Easter was that my in-laws have never gotten the chance to spend an ACTUAL birth-day with any of the boys, so my mother-in-law went into full party planning mode for Benjamin. If you know my mother-in-law… you know full party planning mode means, quite literally – she pulled out all the bells and whistles (and beyond).

Items for Party:
A pony. Chickens. Rabbits. And sheep. — CHECK.
15 Dozen Eggs to be Dyed. — CHECK.
Bouncy House. — CHECK.
Face Painting. — CHECK.

Oh, yes… quite the 3rd Birthday Party!

The best part was seeing Benjamin’s eyes light up… and my in-laws. I know it meant the world to them to see him there, having fun and loving every single second (well… maybe not on the first pony ride!). The one thing I have learned about being a mother… these events aren’t just important to me and Matt, they’re important to our family. I’m so glad they had the chance to celebrate with us and give Benjamin one hell of a party… I can tell you this, he wouldn’t have had ponies here!