Aubrey's Birthday

Aubrey's 1st birthday Party was on Saturday and we all had so much fun. It was just for our immediate family and a couple of friends who have babies close to K and A's ages so they would have someone to play with. And they are very dear friends. (Does that make me sound 80 years old? Dear friends? Oh well, 80 or not, they are great friends!!)

It was a hot afternoon, but thankfully we had a pool to cool off in. Well, most of us had a pool. There were a few of us who were unable to partake of the relaxing/refreshing pool. They had little ones to take care of and me, well, I just won't go swimming in front of that many people. My issues, so I am not complaining about the heat. (At least not out loud!!)

But other than that, the party was PERFECT in my opinion. I got to see family and some really good friends. We got to sit around and talk, well as much as you can sit around and talk when there are small children trying to get/keep your attention. =)

The food was great! The cupcakes were ah-mazing! And the beverages were cold!

Aubrey received so many wonderful gifts that I felt the need to order equally wonderful Thank You notes for her to send out.

She had a good time with her smash cake and collapsed into a sugar induced coma on the way home that evening.

Unfortunately, I am not all that skilled at taking pictures, hosting a party, and enjoying a party so I do not have all that many pics to share.

I didn't even get pictures of her cupcakes, her decorations or anything like that. Bad Mommy!!

Oh well, might just have to re-create it one of these weekends. ;)

It took me forever, mostly because of procrastinating, but I finally finished A's Birthday Banner the day before her party.

It looks OK. Hey, I can honestly say I made it, every bit of it. every single mistake is mine and every single mistake was made with LOVE!!

Her is a picture of A's Thank You bags. We had cookies made by Ruth's Sweet Justice and they had her initial on them or fondant cherries. So cute and very yummy!! The tags were made for me by Sweet Papers. She did Aubrey's invitations and then made these as cupcake toppers. Since I didn't need the toppers, I used them as bag tags and I also am going to use them as stickers on her Thank Yous. Elizabeth is amazing and so helpful! I love working with her. (She also did Katelynn's invites 2, count them, 2 years ago!!) I found her on etsy and I am so glad I did!!

Some of the Water Babies having fun. OK, Noah didn't get to get into the pool. Hence the tears. Poor Noah!! =(

The Birthday Girl and Aunt Emily!

Aubrey and her Smash Cake!! Also from Ruth's Sweet Justice.

And this is the Present Opening Portion of the party in a nutshell; Katelynn opening the gifts and Aubrey on Mr. Steve's lap!! I don't think she realized these gifts were for her!! She'll figure that out soon enough.

Here are the cupcakes and they were so good!! My Friend L made them (I had to steal this pic from her FaceBook page) and they were vanilla with cream cheese frosting. They matched the red & aqua & cherry theme we had going. They were perfect!!

If you want good local cupcakes at a great price, I'll send you her info!!

I hope Miss Aubrey had a great birthday. I know she did!!

She loved all the attention (she told me that) and she loved spending it with people who are so important to her and her parents.

Thank you all for all your help with the party. You made it so special for a special Little Lady.

See you all in November!!! =)

My Birthday Wish for You

My Aubrey Barrett is One Year Old!!

Is that hard for you to believe? It is for me!

Time has flown by. And Aubrey getting older means Katelynn is getting older (and I am getting older, but that is an entirely different post!!)

Aubrey has changed so much and so has the Sister Relationship.

They have gone from this (newborn):

To this (3 mos):

This (6 mos):

To this (9 mos):

And now this (12 mos):

I love my brothers! Love them!! They are both amazing men and both are amazing (& soon-to-be amazing) fathers. They were great protectors and great confidants. We have a very close relationship. I am not saying it is closer than any normal brother/sister relationship. But we are close! We hardly go a couple of days without talking to each other or texting or some how making contact.

I wouldn't trade it for the world. But I always wanted a sister! Someone to share clothes with, talk about boys to, stand beside at each other's wedding. There is just something about the sister bond that I really missed out on.

And I hope, I pray, that my two girls have this with each other. It looks like they are developing an amazing relationship now. It's my wish that they will remember these good times. These great times and let the little things, like stained favorite sweaters or lost favorite earrings, be just that, little things. Little memories that they drudge up over late night Birthday phone conversations that always happen, no matter where or when they are in their lives.

That is my Birthday wish for you Aubrey Barrett!

Shaving Cream Paint

Well, Friday after work I ran to the store and grabbed a muffin tin and some shaving cream.

The girls were going to paint the bathroom tonight!

(OK, hopefully not. But I did want them to have a little bit of fun.)

I was a little uneasy when mixing the shaving cream. I thought it might break down and become runny, but it didn't, and my colors were not as vibrant as the picture that I pin'd but I was too nervous to add MORE food color. That stuff stains, right?

By the time I got both girls into the bath and all the stuff passed out, the cream was a bit brighter. (Also, the color rises to the top. Once you get that first layer off, the shaving cream is very pale.)

Aubrey wanted nothing to do with it. Well, that is not true, she wanted to eat it!!

But she is not liking baths all that much right now, so after about 3 minutes, she wanted out!!

Katelynn was OK with that. She had more room to paint and twice as much paint as she would have had a few minutes earlier.

She loved it. She painted our walls (tile) which are not white or sealed so I had to put a stop to that almost instantly. If that grout ended up green, Brian would have killed me.

So I suggested that she "paint" on the tub. She did.

She painted robots, and her toy box and then every toy in her toy box. People, that is a lot of toys!!

I did notice that when she got the paint on her body and left it there, it would stain. But it didn't bother any of the other surfaces. And the tub is very very clean now.

We did have to change out the water a time or two. It got pretty yucky looking.

After K's bath she told me that the paints were a "very good idea".

Thanks Katie Bug!! I love you, too!!

Aubrey's Party

I have been a bit busy lately, you know I have a 1 year old birthday party to get ready for!!

I have so many mixed emotions about my little Aubrey turning 1.

I am happy she is growing, going to be one, going to be walking soon, going to be independent just like big sister Katelynn.

But I am also a little sad that she is growing, going to be one, going to be walking soon, going to be independent just like big sister Katelynn. =)

My wonderful in-laws are helping me immensely with A's birthday party. I mean, we are having at their home and in their pool. I cannot thank them enough.

So I am working on the small things: The menu, the cake, the cupcakes, the cookies, the decorations, the goodie bags, the pictures, the...the...the..the.......

Oh well, it should be fun!!!

This little party is just going to be for family. August is a pretty busy month in the scheme of things and right now it is just too darn hot to do anything but swim!! I hope A will be able to look back on the pictures and realize that her first birthday party was a blast!!!

Well I best get going. I have my list and Hobby Lobby is waiting for my paycheck!! =)

But here is a little teaser for the par-tay....

See you then...