And So it Begins...

Chase's 2nd birthday party is next weekend, and of course the party planning and prep is well under way! Here's a little glimpse of one of my fave additions to any party: customized water bottles!









Check out the super fun details in the barcode and "nutrition" facts! :)

I love parties.


Posted from my iPhone

Resolutions/Commitments

I decided this morning that I'm going to write a few resolutions commitments for the new year. I want to make goals that are simple, realistic and measurable, but most of all I want them to be meaningful for myself, my family and for others. This isn't a wish list for 2011, but a commitment I'm making to improve life in some way or another for all of the people with whom my life may impact over the next 12 months.

Here's to accomplishing all that we set out to do in 2011!

1. Grow deeper in my relationship with Christ. This past year and a half has brought some very unexpected struggles and difficulties my way, and in the midst of my darkest times, God was there to pick me up and carry me through. He is my Savior, the One who loves me more than I can comprehend. He never gives up on me or forgets about me or chooses to make other people/things a priority over me. He loves me the same whether I wake up each morning, ready to give my day over to Him to accomplish His will, or if I wake up feeling deep pain and resentment towards Him for the things happening in my life. I'm ashamed to admit that I have not made Him the #1 priority in my life as He should be. He brought Chase through two open-heart surgeries and was by my side the entire time. Yet once we started to settle into our new normal, and Chase has been doing so amazingly well, I started to shift my focus onto my family and the "here and now" instead of on living my life with God as the center of my world. Not that I think it's wrong to love my family, but I know my first priority should always be God, then my husband and children. I can you from experience that unless God is the priority in your life, nothing else will work the way it was intended to. Marriages fall apart. Relationships with children are damaged. Things that once seemed simple when God was in control now seem to be a daily struggle. I want my life to glorify Him in all that I say and do, and I'm praying that some changes hubs and I plan to make in our family's life in the weeks and months ahead will help us refocus our attention on God and receive all that He has in store for us.


2. Spend more time cultivating relationships in ways that DO NOT involve electronic forms of communication. This may not surprise you based on previous thoughts I've posted about here, but I'm quickly turning anti-Twitter, anti-Facebook and definitely anti-text. How lazy do people have to be that they completely disconnect from personal relationships in lieu of the ease and convenience of a quick text message or a Facebook status update? Is this the kind of world in which we want to raise our children -- one where you don't have to call Aunt Susie or talk to her in person or send a Thank You note in the mail for that awesome new birthday toy she sent you; rather, you just send her a text or write on her Facebook wall instead? Is that really the same? I don't think so. I for one do not plan to allow my children to grow up thinking social skills are no longer necessary and that kindness, decency and thoughtfulness are not necessary ingredients in growing relationships with their family, friends, teachers, etc. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the conveniences that technology brings, but I do NOT intend to allow technology to displace relationships with the people who matter in my life.


3. Help others. With the hustle and bustle of life, sometimes it's so easy to forget there are those out there who have things so much worse than we do. I have no idea what this "resolution" will look like in 2011, but I know God knows and I will be following His direction on this. I have a heart that desires to serve and have found that the capacities in which I had been serving for the past several years are no longer necessarily the right avenues for me any longer. There's one ministry opportunity of sorts that I'm VERY excited about but can't share with you any details just yet. But trust me, it's awesome and I'm very happy to be a part of it and am very hopeful you will support it as well once I can share more information. I'm praying God will show me some specific areas where He can use my talents and skills to glorify Him while serving those in need. I'm excited about what this will turn into as the year unfolds!


4. Learn something new and/or develop existing skills in areas I'm passionate about. This may be as simple as taking a few cooking classes. I love to be in the kitchen, so maybe it makes sense to develop my cooking/baking skills. Maybe it's taking a sewing class or learning a new language. I don't know. But I do know I want to grow and enrich my current skills (or lack thereof) in some manner over the next 12 months. Any suggestions? I'm pretty much open to anything that doesn't involve sky-diving or jumping off a bridge.


5. Be kind to others. This one is very simple. There's really no sugar-coating it. Be nice. Be thoughtful. Consider the feelings of others. Do nice things for people without expecting anything in return. I guess this one could even be considered a subset of #3 above. Hubs and I enjoy the feeling of doing something good, especially when we do it anonymously because we're not after the recognition -- only the joy and satisfaction of knowing we've done something nice. Maybe this is like a pay it forward sort of concept. Maybe my kind words to the cashier having a bad day will in turn cause her to be kind to the guy in line behind me who just found out his child has terminal cancer. You NEVER know what people are dealing with so it's always the right thing to do to be kind and show compassion to others. I pray I can be more intentional in my kindness in 2011.

I don't know if you're thinking 5 resolutions is too few or just right, but for me, I think I've got my work cut out for me to accomplish and/or improve in the areas listed above. And for the record, I'm glad I have this blog as I've become so appreciative of my friends who follow along with me and provide much-needed encouragement and feedback along the way. I hope I serve as an encouragement to you, too. If you ever need me, I'm always here for you!

Feelin' Good!

I'm so happy to share that LO is feeling better today, and I'm even more ecstatic that Chase still hasn't seemed to catch any of it (knocking on wood). Yay!!

Here's LO with her play-doh this morning. She's also watching "Thomas, Hero of the Rails" for the zillionth time. Something about her being sick and getting to watch endless DVDs had her choose to watch the same one over and over and over... (sigh)


And our little cruiser... He'll go from the toy box to the train table without a second thought. I just wish he would get comfortable with sitting down from a standing position. He'll just stand there wailing until I come over and knock him down. ;)


I love my sweeties!!!

Posted from my iPhone

Words of Encouragement

It's Tuesday. Six days 'til Chase's arrival. Hubs, LO and I have spent the day settling into our rental house. This involved more unpacking, driving around trying to find places, getting lost for a bit, a cranky 2-year-old waaaay overdue for a nap, a 2-hour shopping trip at Walmart and (thankfully) a nap for ALL THREE of us. I have to say this place is starting to feel more "homey" to me, and I think LO is adjusting quite well, too.

We'll be heading to an OB appointment in the morning to see where things are... I'm pretty sure they'll tell me I have ZERO signs of pending labor, and we'll just sit and wait until my induction Monday morning for things to start progressing.

We decided to stay in tonight since we just spent a zillion dollars on groceries and I'm certain I can figure out a quick and easy dinner. In the meantime, hubs and LO have been playing Go Diego Go Safari Rescue on the Wii while I read through a wonderful book of encouragement that my sister gave me before we left for Charleston. As I read through the quotes in the book, several of them jumped off the page and truly blessed me! I thought some of these might be meaningful to you, regardless of where you are in life. Several of my friends and family are going through difficult trials and I'm hopeful some of these quotes will speak to them as well. God's blessings to each and every one of you!!!

We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. ~ Joseph Campbell

Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks. ~ Phillips Brooks

The world was made round so we would never be able to see too far down the road. ~ Isak Dinesen

All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

When you come to the edge of all the light you know, and must take a step into the darkness of the unknown, believe that one of two things will happen. Either there will be something solid for you to stand on--or you will be taught how to fly. ~ Patrick Overton

Always know in your heart that you are far bigger than anything that can happen to you. ~ Dan Zadra

There are no mistakes, no coincidences. All events are blessings given to us to learn from. ~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

I've never been one who thought the Lord should make life easy; I've just asked Him to make me strong. ~ Eva Bowring

To deem any situation impossible is to make it so. ~ Bernard Drummond

Know in your heart that all things are possible. ~ Dan Zadra

Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen every day. ~ H. Jackson Brown

If I were absolutely certain about all things, I would be fearful of losing my way. But since everything and anything are always possible, the miraculous is always nearby and wonders shall never, ever cease. ~ Robert Fulghum

When nothing is sure, everything is possible. ~ Margaret Drabble

The moment you move out of the way, you make room for the miracle to take place. ~ Dr. Barbara King

Where there is great love, there are always miracles. ~ Willa Cather

Just as angels are attracted to the light of joy and kindness, so too are miracles attracted to the lamp of faith and love. ~ Mary Augustine

I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today. ~ William Allen White

Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other's eyes for an instant? ~ Henry David Thoreau

God doesn't comfort us to make us comfortable but to make us comforters. ~ Unknown

Never place a period where God has placed a comma. ~ Gracie Allen

Know in your heart that all things are possible. We couldn't conceive of a miracle if none had ever happened. ~ Libbie Fudim

How simple it is to see all the worry in the world cannot control the future. How simple it is to see that we can only be happy now, and that there will never be a time when it is not now. ~ Gerald Jampolsky

Update: The book is called Little Miracles compiled by Dan Zadra.

Finally!

I purchased my first Apple computer, a MacBook, in May 2007 and have loved every single day with it. I was a bit apprehensive at first to make the big switch from a PC to Mac, but it truly was the easiest adjustment and by far the best decision I've made technology-wise in my life! I'm not a crazed Apple lunatic, though... just want to make that clear. However, I have been pining for an iPhone pretty much since day 1 when they first appeared on the market. Unfortunately, we've been unhappily-loyal Verizon customers for years although I have hopelessly tried to convince hubs to ditch Verizon for our friends at AT&T so I can enjoy the pleasure of owning an iPhone. Up until yesterday, it was a tough battle with a very bleak outcome.

Recently I discovered that we are eligible for a butt-kickin' discount on AT&T service through hubs' employer. Whaa? Seriously?! The ironic part is that we also have a discount on our Verizon service through his employer, which we've been taking advantage of for years! So I was quite excited and pleased to find out that this same discount is available to us at AT&T. So I did a comparison -- apples to apples (no pun intended) and get this! It turns out a new contract with AT&T (including an iPhone for yours truly) will actually cost LESS than our current contract with Verizon. Where has this information been all my life?!?!

SO... I am now more than overjoyed to say that I am now the proud owner of my very own iPhone 3GS! Yep! We finally did it! I shall forever remember Friday, September 4th as the day I finally purchased an iPhone. The past few days have been ahhhmazing, to say the least! It's ridiculous how EASY everything is with this thing! Texting, pictures, web browsing, emailing, you name it, it's easier with an iPhone. My poor darling hubs has to suffer with a Sony Ericsson slider phone, and you should see how long texting takes on that bad boy. I hope for his sake that practice makes perfect!

But in the meantime, I'm enjoying every second of my new iPhone ownership! Woot!!!

Monday Inspiration

"Fill your mind with the thought that God is there. And once your mind is truly filled with that thought, when you experience difficulties it will be as easy as breathing for you to remember, "My heavenly Father knows all about this!" This will be no effort at all, but will be a natural thing for you when difficulties and uncertainties arise...God is my Father, He loves me, and I will never think of anything that He will forget, so why should I worry?

Jesus said there are times when God cannot lift the darkness from you, but you should trust Him...Keep the thought that the mind of God is behind all things strong and growing. Not even the smallest detail of life happens unless God's will is behind it. Therefore, you can rest in perfect confidence in Him. Prayer is not only asking, but is an attitude of the mind which produces the atmosphere in which asking is perfectly natural. 'Ask, and it will be given to you...' (Matthew 7:7)"

~ Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

For the Locals

For all of my local readers, I wanted to invite you to join my church as our choir and orchestra present a Night of Worship on Saturday, July 11th at 6:30 PM. As you all may or may not know, I play the piano for my church, and we have been working hard to put together an evening of praise and worship music that will minister to each and every person who is able to attend. We will be doing a variety of classics as well as some new soon-to-be favorites.

If you live in the area, please consider joining us for this exciting event! You won't want to miss it!

Shopaholic

I've been going CRAZY with online shopping lately. Most of it has been for LO's birthday, but a lot of it was just 'cause I had a coupon or there was a sale or some other semi-legitimate reason for me to spend money. Check out some of my latest purchases:

A birthday gift for LO. She's really into "hiding" lately and we just know she'll love having this to play with.Another birthday gift. The cute little pink preschool backpack from Pottery Barn with her name embroidered on it. She will be starting 2-day, morning-only preschool in the Fall.


A few indulgences (all on sale!) for LO:





And not to leave mommy out of the shopping spree:

Did I mention I also scored more loot during a trip to Old Navy Friday morning? More fun stuff for LO and a couple of maternity tanks for mommy. Good times!

A Day of Bullet Points

Today I'm happy because:

• LO woke up in a good mood
• We're having lunch with my mom and sisters at Olive Garden - one of my favs
• LO's Jibbetz should be here Monday - I'm trying to be patient
• My good friend found out yesterday she's having a baby GIRL (already has a 2-1/2 year old boy and is due with her baby girl just 4 weeks before me)
• LO will now watch Sesame Street while I take a shower and typically doesn't get into anything she shouldn't (knock on wood)
• Hubs is making some serious progress on our 500 sq. ft. deck. (Note to self: I should post some progress pictures...)
• I listened to my baby's heartbeat the other day with our rented fetal doppler. Such peace of mind and utter joy to hear!
• We have our 16 week appointment tomorrow.
• Our ultrasound appointment is a mere 27 days away. We should be able to find out if we're expecting a boy or girl!
• If it's warm enough after LO's nap, we're planning to head to the pool for the first time this summer! Woot!
• I've progressed from an unexpected love of BBQ chicken to an even more unexpected craving for Buffalo chicken! NEVER been a fan but am craving it like a crazy person!
• I've finally gotten over my incessant need for comments on my blog posts and am happy and content to just share my thoughts/life with the blogging community with no expectations from my readers. I really just enjoy it now!
• Our beach trip with 2 of my favorite couples and their kids is only about 3 weeks away. Woot!

What makes YOU happy today?

Wal-Mart No More!

Who likes going to several different stores to get all of the items on their shopping list? Not me1 That's why I've pretty much been a Wal-Mart shopper. All my grocery and miscellaneous sundries can be found under the same roof.

Until recently, that is. Lately I've had issues when I'd go to Wal-Mart, look down the aisle full of body wash bottles until I find the one I'm looking for... only to find, it isn't there! I cannot tell you guys how many times I've gone to Wal-Mart with my list in hand only to realize at least one (but usually several) of the specific items on my list were out of stock! It got to be so incredibly frustrating, but I'd just deal with it. I'd make the longer drive to Target and pay a few pennies more to get the item I needed.

On top of the whole "out of stock" issue, I've also started experiencing an extremely frustrating trend at the check-out. Now, I've never really been a coupon person, but for the past 2 or 3 months I've started looking online for coupons for the items I needed to purchase, print them, and take them with me to Wal-Mart. Sometimes I'd even build my shopping list around the items I was able to find coupons for. Almost every single time I tried to check out at Wal-Mart, the cashier would refuse to accept one or more of my coupons because they "wouldn't scan." I'm sorry, doesn't it say "75 cents off Bounty paper towels" right there above the little bar code thingy? Couldn't they just--heaven forbid--manually type in the coupon amount? (Shameful side note: I know for a fact this as possible as I used to work as a Wal-Mart cashier during high school). When I inquired about this they of course told me they weren't able to accept the coupon. Period. Needless to say, there were several times I dug through the several bags of purchases to locate the one or more items these unaccepted coupons were for, and have the cashier remove them simply out of principle. SO frustrating!

Last Sunday, it happened again--for the last time!!! I couldn't believe this cashier as she made an incredibly poor attempt to scan my little coupon and quickly refuse to accept it. I was with hubs and LO at the time (normally it's just me and LO) and I complained to hubs the entire way out to the car. There's just NO REASON for that. What ever happened to "customer service" I ask!?

No surprise here, but I jumped on my customer service soap box and sent a scathing email to Wal-Mart about my horrible experiences in their store. That was Sunday night. Today is Thursday, and I've still received no response from them. Am I surprised? Of course not. BUT... I have been inspired by Wal-Mart's complete lack of service to their customers to...



((wait for it))








(wait for it))

BOYCOTT WAL-MART!!!!!

That's right! I've officially decided to never, ever, ever, ever, ever walk through the doors of Wal-Mart stores again. How possible is this, you might ask? I believe it's quite possible! It's already day 4 of my boycott and it's going strong! There's nothing I purchase at Wal-Mart that I can't also find at Bi-Lo, Target, AC Moore, or any other retail establishment.

Should be interesting to see how long I can go without shopping at Wal-Mart. Although I've found that when I commit to something and really put my mind to it, I can do anything. We shall see!

Chocolate Chip Goodness

Hellloooooo out there!!!!

I'm SO sorry it's been over a week since I've posted out here! I just don't know what my problem is! Of course I haven't been busy or anything... (wink, wink)

Ya, I've been a bit busy lately, but I'M BACK!! I know all three of my blog readers are jumping with excitement at the very thought of reading all about my fun and obstreperous life! :)

So I figured what way to get back into blogging could be any better than posting one of my newest, favoritest recipes!? Chocolate Chip Pie! Several of you know I've been baking these pies like a crazy-person lately--so many in fact that they are concerned I need a "pie intervention!" It just so happens my husband is completely hooked on them. And a few friends think they are simply amazing! And I can definitely eat them, too!

I originally got a recipe from a friend of mine whose family makes these pies for just about every holiday (which, I believe might be a new tradition in my house as well!). Although that recipe was good, I found one that was a bit better because it came out a bit more "firm" and ultimately didn't use quite as much butter. That ought to make it healthier, too, right? Right?? ;)

Anywho, I made yet another pie last night to celebrate my mom selling her house, and I took a few pics of the process so you all could see how yummy and EASY this pie is! So without further ado...

NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Chocolate Chip Pie

Estimated Times:
Preparation - 15 min | Cooking - 55 min | Cooling Time - 15 min cooling | Yields - 8

Ingredients:

• 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup (6 oz.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional -- I leave them out!)
  

Directions:

1. PREHEAT oven to 325° F.


2. PREPARE pie shell. If using a frozen pie shell, use deep-dish style, thawed completely. Bake on baking sheet; increase baking time slightly. If using refrigerated pie dough, let it thaw for 15 minutes then unroll into pie pan.
   
   


3. BEAT eggs in large mixer bowl on high speed until foamy.
   
   
   
4. Beat in flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in butter. Stir in morsels and nuts.
   
   


5. Spoon into pie shell.
   
   
   
6. BAKE for 55 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean.
   
   


7. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm! Feel free to serve a la mode!
   
   
   

This is a super-yummy, very rich and chocolatey pie. I serve with a chilled glass of milk and It. Is. Heaven.

Enjoy!

S'mores Fun!

Hubs and I broke out the fire pit hubs got for his birthday last week and had us some s'mores! LO was all about the marshmallows and chocolate (just like Mommy -- skips the graham crackers!). Unfortunately we didn't get too many good pics since it was dark (duh), but here's a few that show a little bit about our fun evening:






As you can imagine, after the fun of s'mores came the necessity of bath time! I couldn't help but share these cutsie pics of the little one enjoying her bath time.

Shoes!!!

I ordered EIGHT pairs of shoes the other day. EIGHT. And of those EIGHT pairs of shoes? NONE of them fit. Ya. Zip! Zero! Zilch! But, I was able to decide on the styles I really liked (you never can tell when you see something online how much you'll like it in person). So, I returned 5 pairs and exchanged 3 pairs. I got them yesterday and I LOVE them!

Softspots Misa:



Softspots Monarch:



David Tate Spree:



There's one pair I am still waiting on. They are Dansko's and look SO cute and comfy! I can't wait to give them a try!

Bread Bowl Update!!!

Okay, people. Hubs, LO and I made plans today to have lunch at--you guessed it!--Panera! That bread bowl craving just won't go away (No, I'm not pregnant! I feel I have to clarify that every time I use the word "craving.")! Anywho, what did anal-retentive me do before we met there? I called ahead. And asked if they had bread bowls.

"Panera, this is So-and-So."

"Hi, I was calling to see if you guys have any bread bowls?"

"Huh?"

"Um, I was wanting to know if you guys have bread bowls." (At this point I feel like she's thinking I'm calling to ask her if her refrigerator is running...)

"Oh, ya, we've got... uh, four, I think. How many do you need?" (I think she thought I was wanting to purchase just the bread bowls. Like they were bagels or something.)

"I'm sorry, I was just calling because I've tried twice in two days at two different locations to get a bread bowl and they were out. I'm wondering if I come up there for lunch if you'll have bread bowls."

"Oh, ya, I think we've got plenty.... (trails off a bit)."

"Um, okay. Uh, thanks."

"When are you coming for lunch?"

"Huh? Oh, my husband and I will probably meet there around 12:30."

"2:30?"

"No, 12:30."

"1:30?"

"No, 12:30."

"Oh, 12:30. Okay. I'll go ahead and set two aside for you just in case."

"Great. Thanks."

I proceeded to tell hubs this story when I called him from the car on our way to Panera. His response? Ya, we're not eating those two bread bowls she set aside. Really, I'm sure there's no spit in them! I laughed. They'd never do that.

Would they?

Oh, well. It didn't matter. We got there, hubs ordered 2 broccoli-cheddar bread bowls and we were SET! I was so excited I devoured the crap out of that bread bowl. YUM!

Vacation, Anyone?

THIS JUST IN! THIS JUST IN! THIS JUST IN! THIS JUST IN!

Hubs, LO and I are heading out for a family vacation!!!


((stunned silence))


((crickets chirping))


Seriously! I'm so stinkin' excited! And you would not believe how easy it was to get hubs on board with the idea! For those of you that know hubs, it takes an act of congress for him to approve any frivolous expenditures like vacations (LOL!). Anywho, we were chatting the other night and I mentioned that I'd love to take LO to the beach again one more time before the summer's over. I didn't want to go back to the Isle of Palms where we typically go every May. I wanted to do something different. Go somewhere different. Experience something new--as a family.

I have always wanted to visit Hilton Head Island as I've heard great things about it and have seen some really beautiful pictures...




Goodness! I can't wait to hit the road! And I can't believe it but hubs is actually quite excited about our trip, too! But his excitement has little to do with being at the beach. He's totally trippin' about the awesome deal we got on Priceline! See, hubs was a "Priceline virgin" when I mentioned the idea, but actually was willing to give it a try (after reading tiny print and disclaimers and terms and conditions for hours and hours, of course!). Anyway, we managed to get a Resort hotel for $64/night right on the "main drag" of Hilton Head Island! He went to work the next day gloating and telling anybody who would listen all about it (and probably some who couldn't care less, too!). It was SO cute. But SO exciting! What a great deal!

I can't wait to tell you guys about the hotel when we get back and whether or not they stuck us in a tiny room with no view next to the maintenance/air conditioning room with all the loud noises. I'm not a big fan of hotels just because I can only imagine the germs and other lifeforms that may very well be coexisting with us during our stay (eeew!). But as long as we keep our socks on and have a big ol' bottle of Purell nearby, we should be okay! LOL!

Cookie Time!

Today was the beginning of what will most definitely be a mommy-daughter tradition: baking cookies! What a fun time we had! The best part that this was LO's first taste of mommy's chocolate chip cookies! We made them together (as best we could considering she's only 1!) and she got to enjoy all the best parts of baking!

Here's our delicious cookie dough:


Here are the beauties right after they've been popped into the oven:


Here they are after baking a few minutes:


And here they are just about finished:


Voila! Here are the delicious chocolate chip cookies LO and I made today:


Now that you've seen the cookies through the whole process, let's see what LO was up to the whole time...

Here she is enjoying the beater. Isn't that really the best part of baking anything? Yum!


She's going to town!


Oh! No more pictures, please, mommy...


Once the cookies were cooled, she got to have one of her very own! Mmmm!


Do you think she enjoyed her first chocolate chip cookie?


Oh, ya!

Of course I'm not a cruel mommy... You can't tell from these pictures but LO did have a sippy cup of cold, refreshing milk with each phase of our cookie baking! You can't eat chocolate chip cookies without milk, silly!

LO's 1st Birthday Party

Okay, folks! Here it is! The long-awaited, much-anticipated post all about LO's first birthday party! :) Sorry it took so long to put this together! I just wanted to be sure to capture all of the highlights of the planning, party, etc.

So let's start with the invitation. I chose the "Hugs & Stitches" theme, but didn't want to send a generic invite where I fill out all of the lines inside for Who/What/Date/Time, etc. I wanted something a bit more personal. So here's the standard invite that can be purchased in the theme:

I enlisted the fabulous design services of my incredible sister-in-law (she's getting married in September--check out her blog!), and this is what she came up with. It was absolutely fantastic and perfect! This is the outside of the invite...

Sooooo cute, right? Well, check out the inside (some info has been removed for obvious reasons):

The invitation couldn't have been more perfect for this party! Now let's move on to the BIG DAY! LO was absolutely hilarious when I came home with a bunch of balloons--I think 13 in all! She was in heaven! We could've just called it a day after letting her play with those balloons (and tangle them up like crazy--thanks to Gramma and Grandpa for untangling them!).

It wouldn't be a party if we didn't grab a pic of the food. Yes, the food.

Here's a pic of the cake. A good friend of mine manages the bakery at our local Bi-Lo and she let me get all crazy about how I wanted the cake. As with all things, everything wasn't perfect with this party. The cake was one of those things. I had an image in mind of what I wanted, and I described it (and even drew it out) quite well! Unfortunately, they decided to make the cake look exactly like the napkin... who wants a gigantic napkin-cake!? Whatever. It wasn't as pretty as I was expecting, but it sure was delicious. It was a white cake with raspberry filling and yummy buttercream frosting. YUM-LISH!

Here's a picture of LO's smash cake. Isn't it cute? This one was a yellow cake with buttercream frosting.

Here's LO and me (yes, that's my hand!) as everyone is singing "Happy Birthday!" to her. I was worried she'd get embarrassed or super-shy with everyone staring at her and singing. But, no! This little girl is quite the entertainer! She was just eating it up!

Hmmm... Her first thoughts of cake were a bit perplexing. She wasn't quite sure about it at first, but definitely got the hang of eating such yummy cake!

Here she is enjoying the cake. Notice that adorable pic on the TV in the background? Oh, yes. That was the dreaded video presentation that was the thorn in my side the day before (and day of!) her birthday!

When LO was done with her cake, she made sure to let everyone know it! She has this adorable(?) way of clinching her jaw, making fists and squealing when she's frustrated or angry or upset or doesn't get her way. Am pretty sure it's adorable right now, but it will probably get old at some point. Unfortunately I'm pretty sure she gets this trait from her mommy's side...

LO really wasn't that interested in the opening of presents. I was surprised!

Of course, I made a novice mommy error in opening the biggest (and what ended up the most engaging) toy FIRST. It was electronic, had lights and sounds and everything. She was engulfed in this toy the entire time so mommy ended up opening all of her gifts. Fun.

Here she is playing with a stuffed piggy she got from a dear friend of mine. She loves her piggy!

Later after all the gifts were opened, she got to play on the ride-on toy we had opened first. Here's hubs pushing her around the living room (isn't he handsome?!).

Big surprise... LO loved her new bean bag! And one of those durn popcorn popper things? Ya, she would literally pick it up and carry it everywhere instead of roll it on the ground so it makes noise. Not sure I mind this technique...

Here she is chillin' with her popcorn popper on her new bean bag.

At the end of the day, it was time to put in one of her new "Elmo's World" DVDs and break in the new bean bag. Can you tell she had a long day?

Now, for those of you who may have children, this part may be hard to believe. See, LO had a short morning nap before the party (like 9:00 AM), and had a short afternoon nap after the party (around 5:00 PM). She hung out and played with us all afternoon. Keep in mind she typically goes to bed around 8:00 PM. Well, my dear friends from Atlanta drove up for the party, but were leaving that evening. We got to talking and decided to go out for dinner with my sister, brother-in-law and nephew. It was 8:30 PM, people, when this decision was made. So we were heading out to dinner a good 45 minutes past her bedtime. We had no idea how she'd behave.

Oh. My. Goodness. I don't know if she was on a cake high or what, but this child was a pleasure the entire time we were at dinner! I couldn't believe it! I brought all kinds of entertainment, snacks, drinks, a paci, her teddy that she sleeps with--even had a back-up plan for hubs or I to take her out to the Jeep to watch a DVD if she got super restless. We didn't need any of that stuff! Okay, maybe some snacks, but that was it. She was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! We didn't put her to bed until almost 11:00 PM and--as you can imagine--she slept like a baby, even though she's officially a toddler now!

Anyway, that's the rundown of LO's first birthday party! It was amazing, fun, exciting and all-around wonderful! Hubs and I celebrated the fact that we made it through our first year of parenthood, and LO celebrated the greatness of her one year of life! We are looking forward to all of the milestones and accomplishments that await our LO during year #2!

We are SO blessed!!!