Allie's First Birthday

We had an amazing time at Allie's 1st birthday party. I decided to keep things "low key" and just make the decorations and cupcakes. Turns out, that's not so low key when you have two little kids running around and providing bi-minutely interruptions, and you can't quit the ideas from popping in your head. Yes, low key can turn into almost overwhelming when you have time to check out what all the other creative mamas are doing by Googling "homemade 1st birthday party". At some point, I decided to quit adding and stick to my low key plan. I was having a blast thinking of all the great things I could do with my plethora of scrapbooking supplies and my newfound sewing skills. The final projects that made the cut were a homemade birthday tutu, a customized onesie, birthday hats, cupcakes with toppers, a banner, and some other around the house decor. I was pleased with how it turned out.

One of the best thoughts for the low-keyness of the party was to ask my friend, Rhonda, to take pictures for us. She is a photographer and fellow stay-at-home mom who lives across the street from us. Our 1 year olds are just about at the age now where they can have a play date that consists of more than diaper changes and major meltdowns. So, in lieu of gifts, I asked her to take a few shots for us while they joined in the festivities. This allowed me to enjoy the party without worrying about capturing every moment on film (or digital card).

Click here to see some of her great shots. Also, if you would like to order any of her shots, you can go to rhondadanner.com . Click on Client Proofing, type "allie" in the password box, and take a look at the whole kit and kaboodle. Ordering information is on the website. (The posted pic above is not one of her shots...hers are even better!)

We had a nice turnout for the party, including most of Brandon's family, and a couple of Ella & Allie's friends with their parents. The weather couldn't have been more perfect, and we enjoyed grilled hot dogs for those to whom it didn't pose a choking hazard, and other 1 year old appropriate goodies.

The apex of the party had to be Allie getting to break her 1 year sugar fast and tearing into her cupcake. She LOVED it and barely left a crumb to clean up. She also had a chance to experience her first non-diluted juice box and she surely enjoyed it. The kids were a little sugared up by the end of the day, but a nice long outside play time and Easter egg hunt negated it and they happily went to bed on time that night and slept all the way through.

We are so very thankful to have Allie in our lives. She is such a source of joy and laughter in our home, and we are beyond amazed at her sweet spirit. Thank you to all who celebrated with us!