These are not the droids you're looking for...

Caleb decided a week before his 7th birthday that having our normal family party would not be sufficient. :)  So, I organized a quick Star Wars party with the help of some ideas from my friend Tonya and the willing participation of a handful of Caleb's school friends.  


I'm thrilled at how the party turned out, and I think Caleb had a blast as well!


The kids built Lego droids/robots as they arrived.  Then, we went outside with their lightsabers and played some games.


First was the Help R2D2 beanbag toss.  (washers board and an awesome R2 courtesy of my brother)

Then, the boys practiced their pilot skills and tried to successfully make the Kessel Run with some Millenium Falcon frisbees I whipped up (thanks to Google Images and a trusty Sharpie)

We followed that game with a timed relay that mixed Star Wars and Star Wars: Clone Wars elements to make them all-around Jedi Masters.


1.  Safely disable the thermal detonators.

2.  Use your lightsaber to take out all of the training orbs.

3.  Rescue the baby Hutt (aka Stinky), avoid the obstacles, and safely deposit him on a pedestal without letting him fall.  (personal sized watermelon covered in shaving cream)

We retreated into the air conditioning for some Pin the Ammo Belt on Chewbacca.  (kudos to Uncle Bryan again!)

All that activity made for hungry Jedis, so they refueled with hotdogs and some dee-lish cookie cake.  

(what a ham!)

Gifts and more fun followed, as Pawpaw led training runs on the 4-wheeler Republic Attack Shuttle, and the Jedis climbed trees.  Even our two little Padawan Learners had a blast.

(Thanks to C, B, and D's Dad, Jeff, for helping me with photography.  I think with two cameras ready, we got some great shots!)





We're so proud of our big Seven Year Old!

• He has a clever sense of humor.
• We love to watch his tender heart around Abby (Anna, too, but she's close enough in age for him to really pick on... hee hee)
• Caleb has learned all of 1 Corinthians 13 this year, as well as Ephesians 6:10-18.  Caleb, keep hiding God's Word in your heart!
• He loved playing soccer in the fall and learning Upward Basketball in the spring!
• He has learned to have a love of reading and was one of the high point earners for first grade in their school's Accelerated Reader program.
• Caleb will gladly tell you anything you ever never wanted to know about Star Wars, Super Mario Brothers, or Penguins of Madagascar. 
• We crack up when Caleb watches one of Anna's favorite tv shows and comments, "Can't they stop singing and solve the mystery already?"
• His self-proclaimed favorites this year were:  Food = Salmon, Color = Red, and Subject at school = Computers.