Birthday Baby

This post is intended to celebrate my daughter's first year of life and celebrate the Joy mothers everywhere take in expressing our gratitude and immense delight in our children.  We express this sentiment in many different ways.  Some of us spend hours before a birthday crafting the most adorable cake our hearts can conjure.  Others are overwhelmed by cakes and crafting and all things Pinterest and that's OK.  Instead they find countless other ways throughout the year to build a cozy nest for themselves and their families and to express delight in the husbands or children or extended family God gave them.  We ALL have this sentiment within us.  We all find various ways to express it, with or without extravagant homemade cakes. 

May I present to you: Samantha's first birthday.  The following was my humble attempt to celebrate the gift Samantha is to me, in as grand a way as I am able.  It was not as grand as some.  But I hope someday, when Samantha looks at these pictures, I hope she will feel loved.  I hope she will know that she is important to her parents and to God.
And today, I hope God looks down and is pleased by two hearts overflowing with gratitude for the child He sent into their lives.

Her first year has been a blast.

 Zoo Animals!  Theme chosen by Samantha's Daddy.

Fondant cake toppers, molded by her Mommy and Aunt Megan

Each child got a cupcake to eat and destroy

There was a baby safe food table (pictured) and an adult food table (not in the picture)

Paper balls hung from ceiling, (found at Walmart)

Party favor bags and 1 year old safe party favor toys (also at Walmart)



What sort of game can 1 year olds play at a birthday party???  Hit the helium balloons! 



Waiting for the presentation of the cupcakes

It was a hit.  No need for pink strawberry cake inside.  The icing was her only interest.  Praise God for Oxy Clean.  The shirt can still be worn again.

Cozy round the fireplace



Samantha's favorite gift?  A yellow duck puppet