Since there was a home football game on Saturday (Arlo's actual birthday), we had his birthday party on Sunday. And since it was already a football weekend, we figured why not throw a football/sports-theme party?
We think Aunt Liz would have approved of the party theme...and the fact that at least 75% of our guests were in Carolina Blue!
If you know me, you know I LOVE having my house and my yard full of people and laughing and energy and excitement. But between work and sleep and all that having a baby entails, I don't do it much anymore. So, yes, it may have been more than necessary for a one-year-old's party and yes, it may have been partly about me, but what's wrong with that? We're celebrating his first birthday which means I've made it through one year of motherhood and that is cause for celebration, right? So I think it's okay if I wanted to make a pile of cupcakes from scratch and create a birthday banner for him and invite nearly everyone we know. :) Lucky for me, my husband was willing to indulge my every whim. He gets me. And I had lots of help from family and friends.
All good parties center around the FOOD, right?! Hoagies, chicken salad, wings, pizza bites (we made half with mushrooms and half with turkey pepperoni), fruit kabobs, cream cheese apple dip, veggies and dip, cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, and candy corn fudge. That's right, I said candy corn fudge. You gotta try it. And it's easy peasy.
Two of my sous chefs at work:
The birthday boy!
The weather was gorgeous! I mean, perfect. So we were able to hang out outside a lot of the time. We set up cornhole, a disc golf basket, the hammock, and a pool full o' balls, so there would be lots to do!
Here is Arlo hanging with Clippers fans, Caroline, Matt, and Gigi.
Grandaddy teaching Arlo the finer points of cornhole. Look at his face! Such concentration!
The beanbag goes in the hole, not the baby.
Walking with daddy.
Rolling frisbees.
And then it was CAKE TIME! The highlight of any one-year-old's birthday party. Arlo didn't disappoint. We all sang "Happy Birthday" while I tried to make sure he didn't grab the lit candle.
See how that cake I picked out is almost entirely WHITE?
Yeah, that was on purpose. So how did THIS happen?
Yep, he zeroed in on the blue icing balloon on top and smeared it all over his face.
But that's what first birthday cakes are for!
He even shared a little with GranDeda.
Proud, gleeful parents.
(And we did manage to get the blue dye off the baby's face.)
Overall, it was such a great day with our almost all of our closest friends and family. Here is me, Aunt Allie, and Grandma with the cleaned-up birthday boy.
My book club! And a couple of the junior members.
Kai and Luci, representing Carolina well.
Walking practice with Uncle Casey.
Sitting in the pool o' balls with pal, Sam.
Another baby on the way soon!
The one bittersweet moment was saying "Bye for now" to our great friends, Ryann and Lance. They are off to Portland for their next big adventure and we will miss them dearly! We were so thankful to spend such a special day with them and look forward to visiting them in Portland!
Arlo was sad to say goodbye, too. :)
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to my husband, our families, and our friends for your love, support, and encouragement this past year through the happy times and the tough times. We are so lucky to have all of you in our lives.
Love, Katie
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