My First Birthday Party

Wow! What a fun crowd! I celebrated my first birthday with all my friends and family this past weekend. I didn't realize I knew that many people. All my Grandmas and Grandpas came, even my Great Grandpa Bud and G.G. Larson and Felix. So there were four generations of family there.

Plus all my cousins and lots of friends, some I got to meet for the first time. It was great.

Mama did the party based on the book, The Mitten, since it is still January. So we had a hot cocoa bar for my friends with every kind of marshmallow you could imagine. Mitten sugar cookies you could decorate and all of the kids got to take home a pair of mittens for the cold weather. We could even make snow outside. I didn't go out there though, I was too busy running around the room visiting with everyone.

I got my very own chocolate cupcake to eat after everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to me! My cousins helped me blow out the candle and I ate all of the frosting off.

Once I got cleaned up and changed I got to open all my gifts. My cousins helped with that too! They brought all my gifts and helped me open all of them. I got some really great stuff. My very own table and chairs, some Tonka toys, Lego building blocks, craft paints, a picnic table for outdoors and my own vacuum just to name a few. Now I don’t need to climb on Mama’s vacuum anymore.

Thank you to everyone for coming to by birthday party and for my gifts! I am going to have great fun with each and every one of them.

After everyone left Amy and Thor stayed for a while and we got to play with some of my new toys. Thor loved the Whakem balls. He got the hang of it quick. I had to watch my fingers and my head a few times.

And we both played my Tonka trucks, there was one for each of us.

But then Mama said it was nap time and Thor left. What a great day! I can’t wait until I am 2 and we get to do this all over again!

It's My Birthday

Today I am 1! And boy did I wake up sassy, one year olds can do that, you know.

I didn't want anything to do with dad and I head-butted mom a few times. I wanted to show them who's the boss. But when mom dropped me off at daycare I clung for life. I didn't want her to leave, she's still my mom and if I could spend all day every day with her I would love it!

Miss Virginia at daycare was excited to see me and said they were going to sing Happy Birthday to me today. And mom said they had a surprise for me tonight. I love being The Birthday Boy!

Tonight Mom brought me home a pumpkin cupcake with cream cheese frosting. I put on my birthday crown that Miss Virginia made me and Mom and Dad sang happy birthday to me. That cupcake was Mmm..Mmm..Good!

Afterwards Mom and Dad gave me a Tonka Truck for my birthday. It's so big I can climb in the back while they push me back and forth, what fun.

Look Everyone, I am 1!!

I can't wait for my birthday party in two weeks!

Show Me the Money!!

Before I was born I got a Tiffany's duck piggy bank and $100 dollars in $1 gold coins from Buffalo and Kathleen, long time family friends. I am still waiting to get a picture with him (to post at a later date)!

Tonight, when no one was looking I climbed up on the foot rest in my room and found all these shiny gold coins in a treasure chest next to my duck piggy bank. I got down the coins to look at them because they were simply irresistible! Mom saw me and got down the rest of the gold and the piggy bank for me to play with. After watching her put two coins in I figured it out. It really wasn't that hard.

So she had me put the rest of the coins in the bank so I couldn't play with them any more.

If you ever come to visit me please bring some coins so I can put them in my little duck and fill him up. I love that game!! Show Me The Money!!

Playing Around

I get two cabinets in the kitchen I get to play with. All of the others only open when Mom or Dad opens them. Not sure how that happens but at least I get something. In my cabinet I have cutting boards and bowls. The bowls are fun and I get them out all the time. I know I have lots of new toys from Christmas but I still like to drag the bowls and and put things in them. Today I decided I could climb in it. I fell once over backwards and hit my head, ouch--that hurt! But mom and dad made me get back in it again. Once I was in it again I was okay.

This afternoon we went to the park to play and watch dad fly his airplane we got from Santa this Christmas. I climbed up the stairs and rode down the slide. Then I wanted to swing. They have great swings here. Dad pushed me a bunch and I just hung out in my swing for the longest time.

Christmas Day with the Riedels

After my nap we made a quick trip to Great Grandpa Bud's house since we missed them on Christmas Eve. Great Aunt Sally was there and I hadn't see her in a few months so I followed her around while she cooked dinner. Then we went to Unlce Ken's to see the family and open presents with all my cousins.

Hanging with Aunt Mandi. I was so happy that she got to come home and spend some time with me.

Sitting with Aunt Leah.

Henry and I liked climbing on this chair together. We have a good time together. He is always bringing me toys to play with.

Grandpa Dave is always fun to see. And he always has things in his pockets that I want to grab.

And Grandma Dee always has hugs for me.

What a fun time I had this year. My first Christmas was so much fun. I cannot wait until next year when we get to do this all over again!

Thank you everyone for all my gifts, I loved them!

Opening Presents with Mom and Dad

I think the best Christmas present of all was that I slept in until 8:30 this morning so Mom and Dad got to sleep in a little.





I got a couple presents from Mom, Dad and Santa for Christmas. I only needed help opening the first few presents until I got the hang of it. I liked ripping the paper off and seeing what was inside.

















Dad had lots of zip ties to get off my toys so I could play with them. I was so excited to play with each toy that I got a little impatient with him.










After we finished opening and playing with my presents we all sat down and had this special cranberry/apple oatmeal mom made. I ate a whole bowl, it was really good. But then it was nap time. I had to sleep fast because today we were going to open presents with the Riedel Clan.



Mom knitted me a Christmas sweater this year so I wore it out to the Riedel party.

Christmas Eve with the Jespersens

This year we went to my Aunt Joy's house for Christmas Eve.

I got to meet cousin Josh and Uncle Chad for the first time. And I got to see Holly and Emily again. Josh showed me the train under the Christmas Tree and it made me laugh every time it came around the corner.

We opened presents and I got a stick horse that makes horsey sounds. I walked it around a the house a few times. Then I helped Josh play with his nerf gun.