Last updated on November 17th, 2023 at 05:16 pm
I can’t believe Buba is 3 years old now. How fast these past three years have gone, I can’t even describe it. I can only hope to capture each moment in my mind and in photos as much as possible as I know it only goes faster from here. They say no one changes over night but I am not too sure that’s not true for Buba. He seems taller, more talkative, more confident and so much more of a young boy and not such a young toddler anymore.
I have to admit it was a bittersweet day too, watching him celebrate with so much family around him. It was amazing to get all the cousins together, in picture above. A few were missing physically but we know they were there in spirit. It truly was a perfect day. 
Setting up the party up was so fun as Buba was taking his afternoon nap while I was arranging everything so that he would have a big surprise when he woke up. I told everyone to arrive before he woke up too so it was like a surprise party.
I didn’t have a theme. I just wanted vibrant colors amongst the trees. We had bubble stations, and bunting hanging in the big tree out front, on the river with picnic blanket and pillows to sit on for the kids to stay cool in the shade. I had vibrant colored bath toys tossed in the pool and a birthday banner taped across the canopy to spruce it up. Since I handmade the bunting out of old scrapbook paper that my mom had in her amazing craft room and bought the rest of the decorations at the dollar store; Buba’s birthday cost next to nothing to decorate. Who needs decorations when you have the great outdoors with stunning views to do it for you?
I had a lot of fun with the food and treats although the 100 degree weather had other agendas and mother nature enjoyed melting my cupcakes and caterpillar cake that I worked so hard on. The poor caterpillar face turned out more like an old grumpy caterpillar in the end. I didn’t really have a theme but I had fun with the food, making stars, boats, cars and more. All things the kids love to eat at summer birthday parties.
The watermelon was turned into melon balls and stars. I used the empty watermelon rind for a display dish.
I made cars that were a huge hit out of celery, cream cheese, raisin, carrots and tooth picks. So easy and the kids were all cheering for them.
Next, I made boats out of ham & cheese croissant sandwiches by adding a toothpick and a piece pepperoni. These were my favorite. The flavor of the pepperoni really added to the otherwise normal ham & cheese sandwich and they looked really cute. The photo doesn’t do them justice. I swear.
The treat table was covered with cupcakes, Jello cups, orange sorbet punch and edible confetti!
I am not a huge cake fan and Buba plain hates cake and every so often will attempt a cupcake but sadly on his special day he told he, “I don’t like this, its yucky, hurts my tummy!” I will never force a child to eat cupcakes more for me but I kind was hoping for that big “cupcake face” photo. Note to self, next year give Buba an ice cream cone instead of cupcakes.
My mind is already over flowing with ideas for Missy Moo’s and Buba’s birthdays next year! If you missed her birthday that we just had, check it out here.
Birthdays are always a great excuse to grab a family photo. I was sad Mr P had to return to the UK and missed the celebrations but we facetimed him before the party and know he was there in spirit too! 
It was great catching up with family and watching my kids bond with their cousins, some they have never met until now. I hope every summer we get this same opportunity. It truly has been so special. 
I wasn’t sure if Buba would know what it meant to be his birthday! Last year, he definitely didn’t know what was going on but this year he was so clued in. I was very surprised at his reaction to his surprise party. I think his smile has never been wider, his laughter has never been louder and harder, and he truly ran around the entire day shouting, “It’s my birthday…this is my party… all for me….!!!” It melted my heart that he was so happy and so excited about his very own special day.
Just shows you, a huge fancy party that cost a fortune isn’t what makes the day special. It was all his cousins being there to play with him, the attention and the balloons! I have to say the dollar store balloons were the best purchase ever. He was obsessed with them, as you can see above. They were his main focus pretty much until presents were being opened. He even tried to swim with them in the pool. Not recommended. 
Blowing his candles out!
Although after we sang him “happy birthday” he then threw the plate at me saying, “I don’t want it!”
Opening presents is always a great moment at any birthday party. I have never seen so many young kids try to help, assist, or “just look” while Buba was trying to open them. It took six adults to keep reminding each one, this is for Buba, let him do it. So funny. He was very spoiled and so grateful for all his amazing presents! 
The day wasn’t just special for me as my first born turned three, it also was an emotional family day. Missy Moo got to meet all her cousins, aunts, uncles, and spend time with her two great grandmas whom she only just met for the first time. She was smiling and laughing the whole day while her young girl cousins watched over her and insisted on helping her walk all over the yard, all day. Watching my little girl play with the older girls, her curly blonde hair coming in fast, and walking away holding their hands and not mine definitely left a soft spot in my heart. If so many other things weren’t going on at the same time, I would have shed a tear for sure. 
Buba played hard, had a blast, and was the happiest turning 3 year old I have ever seen. I don’t think it could have gone any better. I apologise for the photo overload it was very hard to pick a few out of the 300 photos I took that day. lol I wish I could share them all with you. I left the pool photos out as many didn’t want their kids online in swimsuits, totally understandable. So although it was a pool party, I didn’t have many to share but I can tell you it was a very wet, splashing, water gun kind of party. No one was left dry, even the two babies Missy Moo and Baby K jumped in after eating their yummy cupcakes.
I am sure I can vouch that EVERYONE slept great that night including me! Parties are exhausting!
I love this picture for so many different reasons but the main one is because it represents me letting go of another year of my first born as he grows older and needs his momma less and less. These early years go so fast and I have heard it only gets faster. That makes me sad but excited for the future and what he will do, be, accomplish, and become!
Buba, I love you so very much and I am so proud to be called your Momma! You are a truly amazing boy and it’s a pleasure watching you grow, learn, love, laugh, play and more.
Happy Birthday Buba!
Oh my word what a stunning party you threw your little man! Everyone looks like they are having so much fun, especially Buba! What a lucky guy having a mommy like you 🙂
Thank you so much that is so sweet of you to say. I love that it barely cost anything too. I was so impressed with how good it came together last minute. Love throwing a party!
Wow! I’m in awe of all the decorations & how amazing all the food looks. Everything looks fab & the fact everyone got to spend time together – and slept(!) is even better. Perfect day x thanks for hosting #sharewithme
Thank you Beth. It was a last minute party too so I am so glad it all came together so perfectly. We had a great day.
Wow Jennie, this is amazing! The photos are gorgeous – so bright and colourful. Looks like you had a wonderful day together and you really went to town on that food – what a lucky boy! Happy Birthday Bubba x
Thanks Suzanne. Yes the food was so fun to make and always great to make healthy snacks for kids too that look cool. We had a brilliant time. Thank goodness for the dollar store too it made it so cheap!
Belated birthday wishes to Buba, I can’t believe he’s 3 already! Love your vibrant theme for the party, everything looks amazing x
I know Izzy me neither. Time is going way too fast. Thanks for your lovely comment. We had such a great time. And I was so impressed with our last minute throw a party together and how it turned out.
He looks like he had a wonderful time. I love the fact that you didn’t have a theme, but tied everything together with colors. My favorite part (if I really needed to pick one), was the multicolored cupcakes. How did you make all the swirls of colors? It’s simply so stunning and just perfect for your boy’s birthday party. Thank you for sharing!
Maria
cmntsblog.wordpress.com
Thanks Maria. It turned out so great. Although the heat didn’t help my cupcake caterpillar any by melting the frosting. It was half following off by time I got it outside. lol I will be blogging how to make it when I get back to the UK but basically make a vanilla cake mix and put into a separate bowls and use food coloring into the batter. I left out the egg yolks when making the batter so that the color was really vibrant.
Oh this looks amazing!!!! And it is so beautifully sunny over there, so jealous. What a lovely lovely party and lots of beautiful memories
Thanks you so much Sian. Yes for three solid months its almost always sunny here. We got married right where Buba’s party was so that we were guaranteed the weather. It can be hot from march until september sometimes. Love USA summers here. So grateful we get to come every year for them.
Great pictures! I love the last one, too. How special that your family could share in his special day!
Thanks hun. It was such a special day and so much bonding happened. I was really really pleased with it all, especially because it was last minute.
What a lovely party Jenny! So colourful. And I adore your caterpillar cake – too cute! I had the same problem with the cake pops I made for EJ’s party in the heat (in England – I know, unheard of right? 😉 ). You sure have a lot of girls in your family!! I think that if I ever tried to symbolically release IN’ s balloons into the wide blue yonder he would never forgive me!! Did Nina know or did you have a secret stash for the purpose?! I love the concept though – so bittersweet to let go. Xxx
That should have said JJ’ s not IN’ s!! Weird predictive 🙂 X
Oh and I just noticed Nina instead of Buba!! Sorry how embarrassing! Lol xx
Don’t worry my predict text always catches me up on names and funny words. Not embarrassing at all. Thanks for commenting. hahaha You are funny, I waited until he went to bed and it was almost dark out, sending them off as the night fell seemed more symbolic. And he would have cried forever. hahaha So true. Yes we do have a lot of girls in this family, there were three more boy cousins missing and five more girl cousins missing. I wish we could have had them all here. Maybe someday!
Lovely post with so many gorgeous happy shots! Looks like it was a truly wonderful and memorable day, you all look so well and happy 🙂 xx #sharewithme
Thank you Caroline. The usa does us all good. hahaha It is so great to be home for so long, back in my culture with family and friends. We had such a great day too! It was really last minute I planned the party too. i was just going to have my bestie over for dinner with her daughter but then I decided no it wouldn’t cost much to ask all the cousins over too to play!
It looks such a wonderfully colourful party and looks SO much fun!! :)A big Happy Birthday to Bubba, his little cake is so cute.
Thank you. I will be sharing the cake on my blog when I return from the UK, wish it hadn’t been that hot and melted everywhere. lol Either way still tasted great. I don’t like characters that much so I love doing the vibrant color rainbow theme for his party. It was cheap and really easy to match things to it!
Yay! Loved all these shots over on Instagram. It looks like you had a fantastic day hun. I can’t believe how grown up he looks now too. Him and my girl will be in school next year?!! Sob can you believe it. I can’t even think about it. Weep. Fab party xxxxx
Thanks hunny. Ya I can’t stop sharing on Instagram I bet people are sick of my post a week later as they have already seen it all. Hahaha I know shhhh don’t say it out loud. I am in denial still. We can have a week party together. Can’t even think that far head. He is too young!!! Lol
Happy birthday Buba! You arranged a fantastic party for him Jenny, it looks so bright and vibrant and fun. Times like these will be burnt into your heart for years to come x
Thanks Louisa it was so last minute so I am really pleased how great it turned out.
Wow, what an amazing day Jenny, you laid on a fab party! Dollar Store is great for things like this isn’t it?! Love the cupcake caterpillar, that’s very clever. The sunshine really does make for wonderfully bright and happy photos, so colourful and so many smiles. I’m so glad you all such a fabulous day. A huge happy birthday to your gorgeous boy x Apologies for being so absent from commenting recently, the holidays are great fun but not so good for the blog, lots of visitors has meant very little time 🙂 Looking forward to getting a bit more time and catching up a bit!
Thank you so much. I totally understand it’s been so hard to keep up with it all here too while on vacation. Same with everyone on summer break and doing family stuff. My traffic is half what it normally is and comments are way down. Must be a general summer thing for all. I know you will come back and so will I. Hahaha
Amazing caterpillar cake (post melting ;S ) Looks like you had a lovely, lovely party! Oh and I love your dress 😉
Thank you so much. Yes hahaha post melt for sure. Can’t always get it both ways nice weather for a party but cool enough nothing melts or spoils. Hahaha not asking much am I? Lmao thanks it was so cheap $5!!! Bargain.
Looks like a wonderful party, and what beautiful photos! x
Thank you so much. It was fantastic and just shows I didn’t have to spend a lot of money on it and he was the happiest I have ever seen him.
I love a themed birthday party and this looks like it was a brilliant day! Fab pictures…. First time linking up with you x
Welcome to Share With Me and I really hope you will like my blog hop. Thanks for the lovely comment, it was a perfect day for my son, never seen him happier.
Looks like it was another lovely family birthday party. Buba’s smiling face says it all about how much he loved it. And Missy Moo’s hair is growing so quickly since you guys went away.
It’s so hard getting all family together, so it’s brilliant you’ve been able to do so.
Yes he certainly was so very pleased with it all. Love his smiles. Sadly that was only half his cousins there were 8 more missing!!! I have a huge family but yes always amazing to have family together. It was a great day.
Oh wow. I love this. It looks like a totally amazing day for everyone.
Totally welled up at your balloon shot too!! I am a wuss.
I am going to steal loads of your ideas re the food if that’s ok as we have a 3rd birthday in 3 weeks- couldn’t have come at a better time!
XxX
Yes of course. Steal away! We had a such a great time and the kids loved the food ideas. The balloon shot is my favorite too. I cry every time I look at it. Softy here too.
The party food looks amazing Jenny, and the decorations are fab. You could have a career as a party planner
Happy Birthday Buba! xx
Funny you say that hun I have always wanted to be a party and event planner. lol I will just have to stick to doing it for my kids. Thanks.
I am in love with that cupcake stand. Reminds me of the Tim Burton episode of cupcake wars!
Thank you Shae. It’s awesome. Told my mom I was going to steal it from here but it won’t fit in my suitcase. boo
Looks like a beautiful party (and I would expect no less!) x x x
Ahhh thank you so much.