Gianna's 9th Birthday Party

Gianna's instructions to her dad regarding the party at his house for her ninth birthday: "Please, Daddy, nothing too girly!" And he came through like gangbusters.

The focal point, given that it was a kid's birthday party, was the giant waterslide. Dominic, Gianna's little brother, arrived before she and her friends did; and my job was to keep him entertained while Daddy completed the decorations. Not that he needed to be entertained; instead, he entertained me and even got me to go down the waterslide a couple times. (Sorry, no pictures of that!)

But then the girls arrived. Gianna's best friends are her gymnastics teammates.

Catering? Daddy ordered a food truck!

Each kid came with a parent, and each parent came with a camera. (Well, phone; but it's the same thing these days.)

We then gathered in the poolside gathering room (is there a name for that?) for cake and a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday To You".

To finish off the celebration, Gianna's friends gathered for group photos. (Keep an eye out for Dominic photobombing!)