I went all out for Jack’s 1st party because, well, it was the first! But for his 2nd birthday party I wanted to do something smaller, casual, and toddler-friendly. Now that Jack has his own preferences and interests I found it easy to pick a theme, location, activities, foods etc. Trains — especially Thomas the Train — are among my little guy’s absolute favorite things in the world. So for his 2nd birthday theme I chose “Chugga Chugga, Two Two!” with an emphasis on “Jack & Friends.” 😀 We rented a pavilion at our favorite park which I knew would be special since Jack and I spend so much time there. There’s a beautiful carousel that boasts incredible hand-carved animals from which Jack first learned all his animal names and sounds as a little baby. The picnic area has tables and sits right on the big, awesome playground. Best of all, this park has an adorable real miniature train ride which circles half the park for a relaxing seven minute trip! I prayed for sunny, rain-free weather and my prayers were answered on a mild October afternoon. But there were record winds which made the outdoor decorating less than ideal (people were practically blowing away not to mention all our balloons!) So although I couldn’t use every adorable train detail I planned, it was still too cute for words and a perfect theme for my happy 2 year old. The piece de resistance which defied the wind was definitely the incredible cake made by Amanda at my favorite bakery Mrs. B’s Cakes. I came up with the crazy idea of all of Jack’s favorite characters riding a train around his cake…and Amanda brought it to life better than I dreamed! I love every cake they’ve made for us but this was by far my favorite…yet! Here are some of the amazing pictures captured by two of my favorite photographers, Jac & Jules.