Goodbye. (for a little while)

I'm on hiatus.

I've disabled my facebook and twitter accounts.

I've got family in town.

I've got one BIG girl turning SIX tomorrow.

I've got a focus on our family that can't be derailed.

Beth Moore's got me deep in with Saul, Samuel and David.

I'll be gone for a little while.

But we'll be back!

The Cake Was Blue

Our FIRST blue, boy birthday!

Found the sweetest nursery rhyme toile invites, plates and napkins in the clearance aisle at Hobby Lobby!

I tied some ribbon to Humpty and strung it from the chandelier.

I picked some scrapbooking papers that fit the color theme, cut some pennants and sewed them onto some ribbon for a homemade banner.

I even made a miniature banner for the top of the cake. Got that great idea from Pinterest!

I ordered the cakes from a cafe/bakery in Marietta, Canvas. They were a dream to work with via the phone and email. They got it just right and it tasted divine!

One little cake for SJ, one big one for the rest of us.

Tied a ribbon to a simple glass cake stand. I have a set of three in graduated sizes, and they come in handy for all occasions.

Ommmmmmmmmmm.

The good stuff inside!

I made a hat for our birthday boy.

He wore it for 30 seconds.

We sang Happy Birthday.

He wasn't too sure about the sugar.

He loved playing in it without so much as a "NO!"

This sweet, but sour look really exemplifies his feelings toward the cake.

He went after it.

I love that little "tear" of icing just under his eye!

HJ couldn't wait to get a taste.

Sweet snuggles from a teething one-year-old, post cake smash

We played a little game with the post-its and the girls' pictures from their cake smash days. I wrote each of our three's birth weight and weight at one-year-old to have our guests match the correct measures with the correct child.

The answers:

AE:

-8 lbs, 4 oz

-19 lbs, 4 oz

HJ:

-7 lbs, 7 oz

-20 lbs, 2 oz

SJ:

-6 lbs, 11 oz

-21 lbs, 14 oz

Then we opened presents.

With big sisters' help, the big one was revealed.

And yesterday he mastered getting in and out by himself! He also found his horn!

Life in Pictures: How I Spent My Summer Vacation

I had over 130 photos on my phone that I may or may not have shared with y'all:

The boy did not like peas.

Our city is beautiful.

Aargh.

SJ fell asleep mid-bounce at church.

Memorial day weekend view:

Waiting for the doctor:

Indication that it's time to lower the crib mattress and remove the bumper:

At our local beach with friends BEFORE the amoeba warnings:

Brown recluse. On the back of our house.

Sweet boy one Sunday morning:

I ruined that outfit with Oxyclean.

What I've been eating lately:

Built a tent fort in the girls' room.

Happy girls:

Made more than one pan of lasagna this summer.

Spinach chicken lasagna topped with Parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes:

Patient boy:

Cloud watching at the splash pad:

Eating puffs at the splash pad:

My sisters are freaking me out with all these toys in my crib!

Mama and The Daddy went on a date.

To a concert.

Where my eardrums may have been split open.

Forgot to put on sunscreen:

(Spent five hours at the beach.)

Watched the neighbor's kids and decided I can't have more!

We have a happy boy!

A smart girl.

And one seriously competitive little/big sister.

He's getting bigger and bigger.

In a hand smocked present from Julie:

Jessie stowed away on several car trips.

Cookin' up a storm:

Rainy afternoons:

Summertime attire:

Popsicle, popsicle.

Date night with HJ, when she wistfully said,

"I really wish I could fly."

He began eating Cheerios.

He put them in the circle and couldn't get them back out again.

The Science Center was good for a rainy day. We pet the baby gator and watching them eat.

Learning new strategy:

Practicing on the green screen:

Wore ourselves out:

Went to a marionette theater:

(Kind of freaky. Saw Alice in Wonderland.)

Naked time:

The Crazy Dog got locked out overnight. Found him on the front porch in the morning. Soaked.

The eyes. My word, his sweet eyes:

HJ modeling SJ's first birthday present from his Great Aunt Judy:

Because according to her, purple is NOT his favorite color!