Happy Birthday Reagan!

T his year we celebrated Reagan's birthday a few days early. Her party was May 3rd but her birthday isn't until May 5th. I gave Reagan the choice of having her birthday 2 days early or 2 days late due to our hectic baseball schedule. And of course, what 6 year old is going to want to wait any longer than they have to? So 2 days early it was!

In our home we start thinking and talking about what we are going to do for our birthday months before the actual day arrives. We love to throw a themed party, and when I say "we", I mean ME!

Reagan decided months ago that she was going to have a bowling party. When Carsten turned 6 years old he had a bowling party and got a really cool bowling pin to take home. Reagan really wants a bowling pin of her very own that she can take home!

Just over a week ago we walked into the dollar store. The front display was filled with Hawaiian party stuff. Reagan's eyes lit up and it was then and there that she changed her mind and her party theme turned to HULA! It was also then and there that David and I began to smile as we saw less money leaving our wallets!

I decorated a cake...

We got hula skirts, lei's, and hair flowers for the girls. We picked up some fancy cups and umbrella straws for our fancy umbrella drinks, and some party balloons for decor. We were all set for a HULA party! Except... I had no idea what we were going to do at our HULA party! I could teach the girls how to hula... but I myself don't know how to hula! Then I had an idea! I could have some hula girls come to the party to hula. They could hula and then teach the girls how to hula. Wouldn't that be fun?

I googled 'hula dancers in Utah', I called the first number I saw out of Lehi, Utah. I explained to the lady on the phone that I was throwing a birthday party for a 6 year old and wanted a hula dancer to come to her party for 30 minutes to demonstrate and then teach the girls a little hula. She told me that it would cost $150.00 to have a hula dancer come to my home for 30 minutes! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? REALLY! I told her that that was out of my price range and that I would make a few other phone calls. She then told me that she could make a phone call to her dancer and see if she would do it for $100.00 instead. STILL WAY OUT OF MY PRICE RANGE! She asked me what my price range was and I told her, "I don't know but it's not that!"

I remembered going to my good friends 30th birthday party and they had hula dancers put on a whole huge show. When I went to Carsten's football practice a day or two later I realized that the guy that M.C.'ed the party was one of the coaches. His wife and I use to sit and talk during practices and games. I thought if some how I could get a hold of her she would probably help me out.

I called my friend Keri who had had the 30th birthday party. She called her cousin who had planned the 30th birthday party. Keri called me back to say that her cousin got the number from The Bamboo Hut. I called The Bamboo Hut. Only the manager knew the number and he wouldn't be in until the next day. I called the next day. He didn't know the number but thought that his partner might. I called his partner. The partner had her number! I then called Maria Fano.
And she could help!
Maria teaches hula lessons and called a few of her students to see if they would be interested in the job. 3 adorable Jr. High age girls came to Reagan's birthday party to HULA for 10 bucks each! And Maria came too! It couldn't have been more perfect!

This is Maria and 3 of her cute hula students!

Reagan and all of her friends were in absolute aw! They were quiet as could be as they watched the girls preform.

The hula girls did a great job!

After we watched a little hula, the girls learned a little hula.

A little hula about a surfer. It was cute and the girls loved it!

Then we took pictures with the hula dancers.
Too cute! It was like getting your picture taken with a star!

We sang Happy Birthday....

Reagan blew out her candles....

And then the girls partied like
HULA DANCERS!

Reagan loved her fancy cup and cool refreshing umbrella drink!

Then it was present time! Reagan opened her presents...

Giving each of her friends a special birthday hug after opening the present they brought for her. This was one of my favorite parts of the whole party! Even the shiest of girls, when it came to their turn to be hugged, they jumped right up and hugged her. Way cute!

Happy Birthday Reagan!
We love you so much and couldn't have asked for a better girl!