my baby is 1 . . .

and we had a BIG party yesterday to celebrate!

I've been planning this party in my head for months . . . my "theme" was pink and orange. Tom knows how serious/neurotic I get about a "theme" (I think it comes from being a 1st grade teacher) and wore his PINK polo proudly . . . here are Daddy and Gracie right before the party started. Grandpa, Jake and Grace checking out the patio . . . Our happy little family . . .

Maddie and Allie with the birthday girl . . . my Mom carved the watermelon into a whale . . . awesome! My Mom and sister helped me out a TON with the food . . . thank you!The birthday girl mingling with her guests . . . I briefed Tom on our "order of events" before the party . . . pray, eat, games, presents, cake . . . the first game was "pin the candle on the cupcake" . . . We took a break and the kids blew bubbles . . . Then it was time for the PINATA! Grace played and played while her cousins WHACKED at the pinata . . . Tom ended up finishing it off . . . Everyone had to try on parts of the pinata . . . Time for cake . . . my cousin Maria made the cake and cupcakes . . . BEAUTIFUL! I gave her a picture I had found (who am I kidding . . . I've been saving that picture for about 2 years) and she copied it exactly. The sweet birthday girl . . . ALL of Grace's cousins . . . whoops, just noticed . . . where's Jake?Grace was spoiled . . . I'll do a separate post on all the cool stuff she got. :)What a sweet cousin . . . Teddy pushed Grace all over . . . I told him I was going to hire him for the summer and pay him in extra pinata candy (I may have overbought)
All the peeps . . . All the kids wrote special things for Grace . . . What a lucky girl . . . Grace has 3 sets of great-grandparentsGrace LA LA LA LOVED that cupcake . . . I think that face means "It was a good party!"

And that’s the end of the birthday extravaganza. Back to the daily grind for this little not-a-baby.