I handed out the badges and shopping list for the girls and explained the rules of the scavenger hunt. They took off excitedly and wasted no time knocking several items off of the list. I was having so much fun watching them debate various purchases while minding the budget. We went from store to store to store, using the Dubai Mall app for navigation and store ideas. The girls had their own wallet with money and they managed it all by themselves!
I was SO impressed with the girls' brainstorming and purchase planning. They ended up completing the entire list of items under budget and in plenty of time. Towards the end, everyone had run out of energy so we had to make a quick pit stop for some food. What better place to stop for a snack during Kaitlynn's birthday party than the spot with her own initials - KFC!
While we were waiting on the food, Kaitlynn's friends all started whispering to each other and then came over to me to ask if they could use the rest of the scavenger hunt budget to buy Kaitlynn an extra birthday gift. Oh my goodness, girls are SO sweet!! They ran back to the nearby bookstore and secretly purchased a special "K" book for her.
After the girls ate a quick KFC snack, we made our way back through the mall and to the limo awaiting us. The girls were happy to climb back in and resume their carpool karaoke. They all presented Kaitlynn with their secret gift and then resumed belting out tunes on Kaitlynn's playlist. It was such a fun and special time with this precious group of friends. Jeff and I were so thankful to witness the momentous occasion for our girl.
As another surprise, I had enlisted Connor's help back at the villa to set up the party table with goody boxes for each of the girls. So when we returned back to the villa, each girl had a zebra gift box with their name, full of zebra-striped items and party favors. They also had their souvenir photo from earlier in the party. They were all squealing with delight at the surprise.
While we waited on a late lunch of pizza to arrive, we had yet another surprise for the girls. Before the party, Kaitlynn and I had blown up balloons with a tiny slip of paper inside, each with the name of one of the party guests. One by one, we popped open the balloons to reveal a name. That person was then given one of the "favorite things" gifts the girls had purchased during the scavenger hunt. It was a fun surprise twist to the end of the game.
When it was time for cake, there was more singing and celebration. I also overheard some super cute girl talk as they all enjoyed their pizza and ice cream cake.
As we waited for the girls' parents to arrive to pick them up, everyone wanted Kaitlynn to open her birthday gifts. I thought it was really neat how the girls were all so excited to see her open the gifts. There was a definite theme to the presents that went right along with the party - ZEBRA! Ha!
When the party was over, we were all in complete agreement that it was the perfect day and such a fun party. Nothing describes the success of a party like seeing the aftermath. Based on the mess in the villa, I'd say this one was a home run!
We still had one more surprise up our sleeve for our birthday girl. With tremendous help from Connor and ALL of Kaitlynn's amazing friends and family, Kaitlynn was given a special birthday video of short messages from around the world. Connor had been working diligently for weeks to make an iMovie of the many video clips, and he did an amazing job. We sat down as a family and watched (and laughed, and cried) as we listened to SO many loved ones send Kaitlynn a special birthday message. What an incredible tribute for our sweet girl.
Kaitlynn asked for a memorable 10th birthday party, and I'd say we delivered in a BIG way. I was so thankful for Kaitlynn's amazing friends who made this day so special for her, and I truly believe we created memories to last a lifetime. Happy double digits to my baby girl!
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