[Image]  Desert Boy recently turned eight, and we were blessed to have a beautiful day so we could hold the party outside. His friends came over for a simple lunch. Then it was time for the outdoor activities. First up: zipline! We just recently installed this, and it's a lot of fun.
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Although it's a little intimidating the first time!
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There was plenty to eat, including some mushy frosting perfect for smearing all over a face and hands.
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We brought out Desert Boy's birthday cake...
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…but the wind was too strong to light the candles. So Desert Boy had to make do with blowing out a match.
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 Then it was on to more activities, including playing on the swingset and hide'n seek.
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Some of the girls played ship on the hammock. They were on stormy seas, with sharks circling.
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They started capsizing, which made for a perilous trip.
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The next game was how many kids can you fit in a hot tub. They liked that one quite a lot. Sharks may or may not have been present.
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The little kiddie pool was the spacious one. Ha!
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The slip'n slide had them running and cooling off, then they'd get back in the hot tub to warm up.
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In the evening we had family over for a BBQ.
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It was low-key fun.
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Desert Boy enjoyed all the attention.
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And then things got charged up with a water fight. It wasn't just any little waterfight, this was a get soaked-to-the-skin waterfight.
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Desert Girl wisely chose to put on her swimsuit.
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And then proceeded to chase her cousin. It was a good day!
[Image] Happy Birthday, Desert Boy! It's been a fun eight years and I'm looking forward to lots more!