Birthday parties can be both fun and also really expensive.  We just had our boys 2nd birthday party and I was actually floored at how much it cost.

I know, I know, you shouldn’t think about money when they are this age. WRONG! You should always think about money. How much of this party will they remember next year?
Don’t get me wrong, they had a lot of fun. But still.

As I watched the boys play at the farm and run on a big bouncy thing, I got lost in the cost. I could only enjoy watching them laugh and smile. And there were several kids there too, which made it even more exciting.
And at the end of the day, the party moved from the big bouncy thing to the slide. And it wasn’t just the kids going down it. In fact, more times than not, the adults were sliding down and relieving their youths.
Everyone seemed to have a blast.

As the party ended and we packed up, we realized that we had only 1 toy to load into my suv. And in the quietness of the farm, my wife and I stood still and realized that everyone that came to the party, made a donation to the charity that we had selected in honor of the boys. So, even though the party was not cheap, after the farm rental and food, etc., the boys and all of the other kids had a great time. And from the text messages that I got from my friends with children, their children all slept well that night too.

Was it worth it? Yes. Because in a little town in South Carolina, there will be special needs children that will be getting some extra therapy lessons because of our wonderful friends and family.

Happy Birthday to my two wonderful sons. I don’t know what life would be like without you.