We spent most of the day just relaxing and doing some last minute preparations for the big event. Quentin, Natalie, my Mom, and I got to run a 5k together that morning. It was fun and a great way of ending my 5k addiction for a few more months. I was so proud of my Mom for running her first 5k....she did awesome!
Afterwards, we just chilled and made these for the party:
For those who don't know, Addison was born to two monkey-loving parents so she didn't have much of a chance to escape the monkeys since birth. It'll be interesting to see just what her favorite animal is once she grows up. Maybe she'll be the first to break the monkey mold! And of course, it was a pretty easy theme for the first birthday. I found some adorable decorations online and also found these cute cupcakes. Luckily, they weren't very time intensive and I had a lot of help with the makeshift assembly line (Thanks Cass, Nat, and Quent!)
Then that afternoon, at 4:00 we embraced the scorching heat and headed to Memorial Park to decorate and celebrate her birth. The shaded trees helped relieve the scorching heat and the location/pavilion couldn't have been better to welcome such a large group. 36 to be exact! And that was just family! The youngest of course was little Garrett Walker who still came to celebrate even though he was still shy of his 1 month birthday.
We dined on hamburgers and hotdogs grilled to perfection by John. We watched in amazement as Addison dove into her very own monkey cake. Seriously, once she got a taste of the goodness she didn't hold back. The picture above proves it. And we all gathered around while Addison opened her birthday presents (with Mommy and Brady's help of course). It was such a relaxing party and I was so proud of myself for not obsessing over the details and stressing (something I have past experience with ;-) and just enjoying the fun with everyone around us. It was truly a great day and everything and everyone came together beautifully.
And thanks to Addison's walking coach, Dana, she may have taken her first steps at her first birthday. I say "may" simply because it was more of a "shuffle" than a step but we are counting it! She's soooo close we can taste it!! :D
We are so grateful to have most of our family close by (on both sides) and truly appreciate all they did to help out, not only with the birthday but even over the last year and beyond. So again, thank you so much to everyone!!
Happy Birthday to sweet little Addison. It's easy to see that everyone in your family adores you...especially your Mommy & Daddy. We couldn't have picked a better little girl for our family!
**Stay tuned for the pictures post. Aunt Sarah was our wonderful photographer and did an amazing job capturing the memories. Thank you so much Sarah!**
2 weeks ago
4 comments:
Looks like so much fun! It is so cute when babies totally get into their cake. (Raina still does NOT get dirty - no fun). I love the monkey idea - I might steal it.
She totally is going to be walking soon! That shuffle is what a lot of them start with, and then a pure walk, then the maddness starts! Have fun with it!
I can't wait for the picture post!
I just love the monkey cupcakes!! You fooled me in saying they were easy! They look store bought and done by a professional...didn't know we had professionals in the family!! :) Sorry we missed such a fun shindig! I don't think you'd want this emotional wreck of a 9 month prego woman around you though!! I would have spoiled the fun!!
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