Eve's Birthday

Eve had 2 birthdays.  We discovered that we were planning on being in Utah for Eve's birthday. This was a great example between the difference between your first baby and your 6th.  First off I didn't immediately recognize that we were gone during her birthday.  Second, when I realized we were, I didn't care and figured we would just celebrate when we got home.  (I probably would have changed the trip if it had been Brock or planned a whole party for her there).  Third, when we did get home it took a month for me to finally get around to do her birthday, and that is because I forgot.    It isn't that I don't love her or anything, and as she gets older I KNOW that I will do all the same things I did with the others and this isn't a pattern for her life.  It is just that you realize what is actually important and first birthday parties are not important. 

But everyone else disagreed with me, namely the older kids and my mother in law (whose house we were at).  Thankfully she made Eve 2 beautiful birthday cakes and my sister in law bought her a present so we could celebrate her on her birthday. 

She was not that interested in her cake.  She didn't like that it stuck to her hand and mostly threw it off the edge.

Dane, however, loved it.

Then, a months after her birthday we celebrated at out house.  The girls and I spent the better part of the day making a 3 layer flower cake and then the girls (mostly megan) made this bee cake (because we call her Evee-bee she HAD to have Bee cake - according to the girls)

She was worth it!

She got some of the toys M&M got for their first birthdays.  

She liked her cake this time around!

Eve at 1 year.

• Everyone loves her.  She is so sweet and fun.  
• She is a lot like Brock and Madison.  Very serious, very even keel.  Doesn't get too mad, but also doesnt get too happy.
• She does like to be a little silly, though.  She does like to wrestle, but doesn't like to be tickled that much or at least that hard.  
• She eats and sleeps perfectly
• She loves Dane.
• At one she wasn't walking (but now I write this at 15 months and she is walking and running great)
• She LOVES the park, she especially loves to turn around and go feet first down the slides. 
• She prefers to be outside.
• She doesn't talk at all.  at all.
• She loves to read books.  Especially ones that she can "feel".  Like "thats not my _____" or our nursery rhyme book.

 

Great Grandma's house

I organized a little get together one Sunday evening at my grandparents house for all my cousins and their families.  Most couldn't' come.  But that's ok.  My aunts came, so I appreciated that.  I love being at my grandparents house, just hanging out.  It is important to me that my children have some of those same feelings and memories. 

I love my grandparents.  They are a huge part of who I am.  I didn't realize their influence or impact on me until I was in my 30's.  I wouldn't be the woman I am today (or the mother I am today) if it wasn't for their constant influence in my life.  

 

Fourth of July

We had a wonderful 4th of July celebration at my parents house - despite the fact that we couldn't do fireworks. 

My dad had a shooting competition.

Each family came with 3 minute-to-win-it style games.  This was the first time my family has ever done any sort of "all together game" type thing and it was really.... fun.  It seemed crazy and no worth it at the time but on the drive home it was almost all of the kids' favorite thing about the trip.  (well... we do have mad ping pong tournaments) 

Then my mom handed out the Americana outfits she bought all the grandchildren.  They LOVE getting the shirts...

They love taking the pictures even more!!  Haha.

Then we ate a lot of yummy food!

More pictures...

Angie and my mom took these of Eve and Lottie.  They are so stinkin cute!

Then in leu of fire works we made smores.

Happy fourth!  My mom and dad always put one such great, memorable parties, that make us feel loved and wanted.