Milly-palooza

Can we flash back to November for a sec?  Because the holidays got the best of me and I totally forgot to post pics from Milly’s first birthday party!  Totally guilty, but yes, rewind to 11.09.13.  It was an unusually warm and sunny day and we were so happy to open our house up and invite our nearest and dearest to join us for some BBQ, cupcakes, and good old birthday fun.

The night before the party, Marty and I stayed up late putting together a birthday banner for Milly and a sweet little photo collage of some of our favorite pictures since Milly’s birth.  The girls were SO excited to wake up that Saturday morning to a house full of decorations and balloons.  Milly got plenty of presents and was honestly more excited about the wrapping paper and bows!  It was such a good day, and I must say, age ONE is quite fun… 🙂

And Then She Was One…

Dear Amelia,

I can’t believe it has really been a whole year since you’ve joined our family.  An entire year since we brought your tiny self home from the hospital swaddled in the cold November to meet a very excited Big Sister and two very curious pups.  We’ve rocked, shushed, kissed, snuggled, giggled, cried, had many sleepless nights, and smiled our way through 365 days of Amelia June, and life honestly has never been better.

In those early morning hours, sunlit afternoons, and late nights, I’ve found in you, a new best friend, a new reason to smile, to say yes, and to be my absolute best self each and every day.  Your fierce heart and fiery spirit are what makes you so special, and my wish is that you will always hold onto that spark!  Your Dad and I know that like your sister, you have such a purpose here, and that you will do wonderful things on this Earth.

On the day we brought you home, you peered up to your Big Sister with such intrigue and haven’t stopped since.  She loves you so much, and it makes me so proud and happy that you entered this world with a best friend for life.   Happy birthday, little princess; I hope all your wishes come true.  We love you so, Milly.

Love,
Mom, Dad, and Everly

Everly’s First Birthday Party

On Saturday, the 6th day of August, our house awoke with much excitement since we knew the day was sure to be accompanied with lots of fun and plenty of memories – it was Everly’s first birthday party! Everly had a certain special twinkle in her eye that morning and I’m pretty sure she knew that she was going to be spoiled that day.  Despite being up late making cupcakes and putting the finishing touches on a few things, we arrived at my parents house early enough to set up shop and get some tunes playing on the jukebox.

The Dress
Since the day Everly was born, I’ve always sang her “You are My Sunshine,” so this bright, lemony party dress was definitely fit for the birthday girl.

The Details
Friends and family got to experience Marty’s “hot dog jamboree”, which included Chicago-style dogs amid an expansive spread of toppings.  Most went for the classic catsup-mustard-relish-onions-dill pickle-celery salt combo, but I saw a few chili cheese-frito dogs and some other interesting concoctions on some party plates.  Drinks included Bud Light & Miller Lite (a nostalgic nod to last year’s coed baby party), and Mexican Coca-Cola Classic (the kind with real sugar!) in glass bottles, and treats were vanilla cupcakes with raspberry frosting (the best birthday cupcakes ever).
Everly was a good sport all day.  When she wasn’t chasing her cousins Kenzie and Matty around, she was ooohing and ahhing at her balloons, snacking on tiny toddler hot dog bites, getting passed back and forth between her Grandparents, and impressing the crowd with her walking and talking.

She even sat still long enough for us to sing Happy Birthday and took a few playful bites of her birthday cupcake, however once we snapped the picture, she was officially ready for a bottle and a nap.
Before we knew it, the day was long over and we were carrying our sweet little 1-year old princess to bed and wondering how this past year has gone by so quickly.  We are so blessed to have such an incredible group of family and friends that will surround this little girl for the rest of her life. These are the people who will inspire her, who will lead by great example, and who will shape her into the wonderful person that we know she will be.

It was truly a perfect day.  We’re so thankful for everyone who came out to celebrate with us and we are so excited about seeing what this next year of toddlerhood brings!

Love,
E