In the end even though she was only turning two we invited something close to eighty people.
In the beginning even though she was only two we held a joint party with her best friend.
In the middle even though the cake had been cut and served a second wave of guests arrived, extending the party out for another hour.
In the beginning even though it was her birthday party we insisted on No Gifts.
In the middle we saw that some people had brought gifts along anyway, and we knew Erin would love them like she loves everything else in her piles of toys and books stored on the edge of a dining room without a table.
In the end we raised 228 lbs of food for the Second Harvest Food Bank.
In the middle there were bubbles everywhere.
In the end there were once-more empty tables.
In the beginning Emily decided to bake Cup Cones for the party.
In the beginning we wondered how to throw a suburban birthday party for a kid who is just as happy to wander on her own as to see her friends from around town.
In the middle we were surprised at how much fun it all was.
And in the end our little pink butterfly had a pretty good birthday party.
