Miss March has a Birthday

My Miss March turned one year old!  We had family and couple close friends over to help us celebrate.  And for those of you who love photos as much as I do, this blog post is full to the brim of birthday fun.  Thank GOODNESS for Aunt Tammy who doesn't even ask, but just grabs up the camera and starts recording our memories for all of posterity.  Double thank goodness for her wonderful photography skills too.  She got some real gems. 

Like this one of Grandma Pankratz, Alaina and I.  Since Grandma moved here from Liberty (near Houston) we get the honor of celebrating with her and seeing that wonderful smile more.  Grandma's face brings back such happy memories of my childhood and is a reminder of who I want to be.  I know the fam down there misses her but I'm so glad she is here!

I tried to keep it very low key  this year.  Low maintenance is about all I can manage right now with two kids and my own mind to keep sane, but of course come midnight the night before, I found myself rummaging through my fabric for table-scape accents and snipping silk flowers from my stash for arrangements.  I guess that is what silk flower stashs and fabric remnants are for though, right?!

The cousins ran amok and the nerf guns were shortly confiscated.

The triplets ran amok, but they didn't have anything to be confiscated at this particular moment.  ;)

It took Alaina awhile to warm up to this new fangled thing called a balloon.  Once she figured it out that it wasn't a threat, she really had fun with them.  I love this sweet picture Tammy got of Alaina and I.  There is a similar one of Josh and Joseph at his first birthday.  I think I see a double frame for those in our hallway's future soon!

Alaina's buddy Ryan arrived as dapper and happy as ever.  We love our sweet friend Ryan who is only three weeks (to the day!) younger than Alaina.
 

Here is the money shot!  We all grinned like fools at that baby girl like she was the Queen of the World!  Boy does she have us trained.

I made 'cherry limeade' cupcakes and this was Alaina's first sweet.  Tammy captured the progression!

Hesitant but interested!

Checking out the sticky pink stuff!

 Easy does it!

Oh my goodness, I could just melt watching that little tongue trying it out for the first time.  

Ok folks, show's over.  She decided it just wasn't her cup of tea.  Or rather her cup of cake!  

Alaina got lots of help opening her wishlist of books!  We opted for no toys this year and instead everyone brought a book or two for her library.....best idea ever!

Thank goodness we have lots of good health and good times to celebrate this year.  And as always, I'm so grateful for leftover cupcakes too.