f i r s t birthday

 we celebrated Emma's first birthday yesterday. it was a perfect day. Emma woke up, ate breakfast and played a little. then Tim, his brother Rob and his wife Amber,  Emma and I went to Valhalla for breakfast. once we got home, Emma went down for her nap while i finished up the final party details. she woke up just as her quests were arriving. she was the perfect party girl. she walked around and smiled and interacted with everyone. i am so proud of our little girl. she loves her family and friends. she is sweet, kind and generous. i was in awe watching her make the rounds at her party greeting all of her guests with a big grin and contagious giggle. she is so independent. she is always on the go. exploring and discovering something she hasn't seen before. but the second she bumps her toe or needs a cuddle when she's tired, she runs to my arms. it has been an exciting year and i dream every night about what the years ahead might hold. i found my inspiration for her party decorations on pinterest, naturally.      

cupcake garland. cupcake liners from Shop Sweet Lulu.

                                              

tissue puffs and fans. also from Shop Sweet Lulu.

number one made by Tim out of cardboard, spray painted by me. tissue puffs made by me. tutorial from Martha Stewart.

ice cream dishes from the dollar store. tablecloth made by me. highchair found at an antique store.

tissue puffs made by me.

letters from Michaels craft store. spray painted by me. white patio furniture belonged to my great-grandma.

God has truly blessed us with a special girl. you were wonderfully made by God. Psalm 139.

bittersweet

the sweet part: Tim got hired with Kern County Fire Department. which is great because it's full time! he is no longer a seasonal fire firefighter. his training academy will start next Monday.
the bitter part: he will be traveling an hour away, every day, for 8-12 hours, 5 days a week for 22 weeks!! to celebrate the new job and prepare ourselves for a crazy busy season we decided to head to the beach for a couple days. i left dirty laundry, a sink full of dishes, a messy house, a destroyed front yard (we are putting in a patio) and just left. it was so fun we didn't want to come back. now that we are back i have a lot of catching up to do. laundry is almost done, house is somewhat clean (i have an almost 1 year old-it's never totally clean), and i am almost ready to celebrate that almost 1 year old little girl! we stayed in San Luis Obispo and shopped and ate one day. and we went to Avila the next day and had a picnic on the beach.
                              

what has been happening...

we celebrated Emma at 10 months old.

she is full of life, energy and a spirit for exploring. it is challenging to get her to sit still long enough to take a photo. there is always something more exciting she needs to get to. she started walking. after those first steps it didn't take long for her to realize that walking was going to get her where she wanted to go a lot faster than crawling. not to mention there is a whole new world up off the floor. it's a whole new world for both of us. i hear some moms say that they had a favorite stage, like crawling or when they weren't mobile. but i have to say, i have truly loved every stage. as we entered this new stage i got those feelings of excitement all over again thinking of how her personality will shine through differently than the time before.

we celebrated Emma at 11 months old.



she has this walking thing down. when she falls, she stands right back up. she absolutely loves being chased and makes us laugh at how quick those little legs can move. she is attempting to climb now. she knows how to climb upstairs but not down. she has climbed into one of her toys and managed to climb back out. everyday she amazes me. i am so excited to celebrate her first year of life. she brings us so much joy. we are so grateful God has chosen us to be her parents.

"For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done."
Psalm 92:4

i'm back

i took some time off from the blogging/pinterest/facebook world for a while. life has been happening all too fast lately and i felt the need to just be. it was time well spent, although it didn't seem to go by any slower. Emma will one in one week. ONE! my tiny, little baby is growing up. decorations are almost made, the house isn't clean at all, i haven't started on the menu and about 99% of the guests are coming. i hope this first birthday is everything she ever dreamed of.