Ella's Birthday Party

We had Ella's birthday party Sunday in Oxford at Funky's, and it was a blast! Our friends and family travelled from all over to celebrate our baby girl turning 1. Ella had so much fun visiting with everyone and opening her gifts. She got really excited and started clapping her hands when we started singing "Happy Birthday" to her. And a birthday party just isn't a birthday party without a smash cake from Alice Chow. She kept wanting everyone to try her cake, which was hilarious. We definitely partied hard. It took me 2 days to recuperate. Thanks to everyone who came to the party and especially thanks to Kurt for letting us have it at his restaurant.

This is the adorable sticker that Ginna made for the sugar cookie party favors!! Thanks again Ginna. You're the best!!

Happy 1st Birthday Ella!

Our baby girl turned 1 year old today! Thanks everyone for the sweet cards, text messages, and phone calls. From the time she woke up until she went to bed the camcorder was in her face. We tried to make her big day really special. Nick made her chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast...her fav!! After breakfast we ran a few errands, followed by a LONG nap. As soon as Nick came home from work she opened her gifts from us. We played for a little bit, then it was time to eat. Samantha brought Emerson over for cupcakes and punch. After the mess was cleaned up and Ella had a bath, we headed to the mexican restaurant for dinner. We had to do an early dinner because I had a JA meeting that I absolutely could not miss ( I know...booooo me). It was okay though, they had 3 full hours of father/daughter time. I just can't believe how fast this year has flown by. She will never know just how much she means to us and how much she has taught us along the way. For that, I am truly grateful!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLA!!

The Birthday Girl



getting ready for her birthday breakfast

"Do you want some mama?"

Quick pic before he headed to work.

She wasn't completely clean so he was trying to avoid the mess.

Of course I had to get a pic of her birthday outfit.

after her nap

opening her gifts...she loved the paper!


Daddy had to help a little bit.


This one was definitely a hit...

but the ball pit was her fav!


She loved the door! She would go in, peak her head out of the window,

and then come right back out...a hundred times!!


diggin' in

She just smiled when they sang "Happy Birthday" to her

Busy Weekend

We had a very busy weekend. Saturday we spent the day in Oxford shopping and getting balloons ordered for Ella's birthday party. We stopped by Funky's (my brother-in-law's restaurant) to drop off the drinks and figure out how many balloons we need. I can't wait until next Sunday. PARTAY!!

Sunday, after Nick worked in the yard, we went to Memphis to go swimming with Kurt and his girlfriend Jessica. They even cooked us dinner, and it was so yummy! After we got our bellies full, we headed back home to Hernando.

A year ago today I packed our bags for when the time came to head to the hospital.

Wow, almost a year has passed!

It's Emerson's Birthday!

Samantha and Quentin's little girl, Emerson, turned 1 year old today. They celebrated with a trip to the Memphis Zoo and cupcakes from Muddy's Bake Shop. They invited us over to eat some cupcakes (made with all organic ingredients), and it was probably one of the best cupcakes I have ever had. Ella was able to get some practice for her big day. It meant so much to us to be a part of Emerson's special day. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we did.

Happy Birthday Emerson!!

(Mama) "Who wants cupcakes?"

(Ella) "I do, I do!!"

The birthday girl & her daddy

headed straight to the tub

GABBEY DESIGNS

A few months ago my super talented friend Ginna Abbey started her own invitation/stationary business called Gabbey Designs. I showed her what I wanted and she created the most perfect birthday invitation for Ella. It turned out so cute. I can't wait for her to do our Christmas cards! Be sure to check out her blog http://gabbeydesigns.blogspot.com .

Oh so good...

but oh so messy. I fixed spaghetti for dinner a few nights ago, and gave Ella some to try. My friend Steph has been telling me how much Will loves spaghetti so I wanted to see what Ella thought about it. She dug right in and ate every bit of it. Needless to say, she went straight into the tub after dinner, but not before I was able to get a few pics.

BEFORE

DURING


AFTER
thank goodness for the scoop bib & suction bowl

1st Family Vacay

Well, we survived our first family beach vacation. It was a little different this year since we are now a family of three. I figured it would be hard for Ella to adjust since she is so used to a structured routine, but she did GREAT! I made my list of things to pack weeks before we left, and made sure everything was all organized for our trip. I realized that with a baby you really have to be EXTRA prepared for anything and everything.

We shared a condo at The Phoenix with Dave, Maribeth, and Pittman Crews. Ella absolutely loved the beach, and even played in the sand with Pittman. We layed on the beach, went swimming, ate great food, and went shopping. One night we ate at the Hangout. The food was great, and there was no wait, which is definitely a plus. It was so kid-friendly too. We ate lunch one day at Lambert's (home of the "THROWED" rolls) which had the best home-cooked food I have ever put in my mouth. My friend Lauranne told me that we had to eat at Cosmos for dinner, so that's where we ate Friday night. We waited for an hour and a half, but it was well worth it. The food was fantastic and Ella hung in there like a champ (even though it was passed her bedtime).

On our way home we stopped in Madison to have dinner with a few of Nick's co-workers and gave Ella a break from riding. All in all she rode really well. As long as she was eating or sleeping it was a smooth ride for all of us.

We all had the best time and can't wait to go back again next year. Enjoy the slideshow!