the long awaited party post (warning: may be time consuming)

Preparation

I know they don't remember their first birthdays, but i do. i was so excited about charlie's party, i'd been planning it for months. and months. i'd lost so much sleep over menus, invitations, decorations, music. Going to garage sales to get theme decorations. Scouring used cd stores for the right background soundtrack. I don't know why it matters to me, but it does. It's fun. Initially, I wanted to do a whole lunch, traditional picnic food with a twist. Big baskets of fried chicken, biscuits, done family style at long plank tables. Outside. With pony rides after lunch :-). Bobbing for apples, until someone told me people don't do that anymore because it's somewhat questionably hygenic to share the same water like that. Country Living was going to come do a story on it :-). But that would have been waaaaay too expensive and too labor intensive as well. So we settled on an in between meal, and were able to invite more people. Mom and Lar came, and helped so much. I hope we had fun, I did. I know patrick was glad it was finally over!

Above: mom and hannah unwrapping caramels for caramel apples, our take home gift.

i apparently have little control over where i get my pictures and text to go i'm sorry. anyways, hannah is mixing up the poppyseed citrus vinaigrette dressing for the sweet potato salad. There was a ton left over, so i guess this opinion was not shared by all, but i absolutely loved it. i like potato salad ok, but in the end it just tastes like mayonnaise. this had orange juice and poppyseeds and pecans and red onion and all kinds of things. so good!

Lar and I working on the fondant. Here, there are only a few options available: the white, then you mix color in yourself, and i hear that's difficult to get it distributed through evenly. or small packages of various colors, primary or pastel. so, that's why we ended up doing each layer a different color, all patched up at the back. It was alright.

We had quite a few things I wanted to get done around the house/yard, as well. Here, Patrick is digging holes for a new fencepost, and gate. I love seeing Patrick working with the kids, or at least letting them "help." I know charlie will learn so much from him.

We had some regular white cake, and another layer pumpkin with cream cheese filling.

Someone getting curious a little early!

Party



We used alot of animals and stuff from his bedroom on the tables. we already  had the sawhorse and planks in the garage. the basket i got at a garage sale for $1. and the fabric at Hobby Lobby for 50c a piece, i think. we also had ham biscuits, herbed devild eggs, and sliced apples and cheese.


Any time you're outside, you're taking alot of chances! it was still very, very warm, first weekend in october. our grass hadn't been planted, so it was dirt everywhere. but i think that contributed to our theme :-). everything kept blowing away, reminding me we are in fact in KS.

I am so thankful my mom and Lar made the effort to come all the way here for such a short time. Having their help, but even more just celebrating with us, is so special to me. Thank you guys!

 

Post Party

In my opinion, the after party is what it's all about. The post adrenaline rush, kind of like walking out of an exam. But more fun :-). You can relax, eat because you don't have to worry about the guests having enough. have a drink, if you're into that sort of thing.

The tag says thank you for coming. we couldnt' leave them out, because it was so hot they'd all melt. But of course when people start to leave I forget we even have them. So we had a ton left over, and ended up giving them to the neighbours! 



"I'm cool and glam like Auntie Lar!"



"Please, no more pictures!"

I love what Charlie's doing here.

Before i had children, i never anticipated how i would feel when i looked at them. Actually, it happens even more when I look at pictures of them. maybe because in pictures they aren't whining or fighting or pooping :-). They just look angelic, to me anyways. I am so thankful God gave me my children, and thank everybody that had a part in celebrating with us, not just then but all through their lives.

happy belated birthday, Charlie!