Journeys›Photograph

A Summertime Luau-Themed Birthday Pool Party

·Walnut Creek, California·#summer#bay area#kids#birthday-party#pool-party
Nine children in grass skirts and leis stand by a pool, some holding pineapples, with trees and a flag under a clear sky.

Looking back at these photos from July 2014, I remember the heat of that particular summer day. It was the kind of Bay Area sun that made a pool party feel like the only sensible option. We went with a luau theme, and the kids fully committed to it.

A whole group of girls showed up in their swimsuits, layered with plastic leis and grass skirts. They posed for what felt like endless group photos by the edge of the pool, some gamely holding whole pineapples as props. The sun was high and bright, making the concrete stark white against the blue water.

The centerpiece of any kid's party is the cake. This one was incredibly vibrant—a tiered creation of teal and magenta frosting, covered in sugar flowers. All the kids, still wearing their party leis, crowded around the table to watch the first slice being cut. It was that classic moment of birthday anticipation, played out in the summer heat.

Nine young girls wearing grass skirts and leis pose with pineapples by a swimming pool under a clear blue sky.Ten children in grass skirts and leis, some holding pineapples, pose by a swimming pool under a blue sky.Several children in swimsuits, grass skirts, and leis stand by a pool, some holding pineapples, under a blue sky.Ten children in grass skirts and leis pose by a swimming pool, with some holding pineapples.Smiling child in a mermaid-style swimsuit, flower crown, and hula skirt stands with other children by a pool.A child in a flower crown, mermaid swimsuit, and hula skirt stands with other children by a pool.A person cuts a slice from a teal and brightly decorated two-tiered cake while two children watch intently.Two children watch intently as an adult's hand cuts a slice from a bright teal and pink tiered cake.

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