The big birthday bash

Our little Alea had her very first Birthday last Saturday August 9th.  We celebrated with our family in our house.  The party attendees were Grandma and Grandpa, Mimi and Pawpaw, Auntie Sarah, Uncle Casey, Cousin Cora, Aunt Natalie, Cousins McKinley and Payson, Auntie Jan all the way from Denver, Colorado and Lily Rose.  We decided to have a bee theme and as the pictures show, the invitation and the cakes went along with it.  Alea even wore a sun dress with little bees on it.  She looked so cute.  Our friend Crystal came over the night before the party to help me make the cake.  She did the baking and I decorated it.  I'm sure I won't make all her birthday cakes in the future but the first one has to be made by mom.  

I had this invitation made by a local artist especially for Alea's big day.  The artist didn't have any bee invitations on file but will now be offering this one in her catalog.

A bee theme party has to have a beehive cake.  It was a lemon verbena pound cake with a tangy lemon glaze thickened a bit and drizzled over the top to look like honey.

These cup cakes were so much fun to make.  They tasted great too.  Thanks Crystal for all your help.

This was the first gift we put in front of Alea.  It was the only one she opened with her full attention.  We chased her around the rest of the time and ended up opening most of them ourselves.

I think she was too busy here watching McKinley play with a toy.  Maybe next year we'll see more gift opening action.  

She was more interested in the hanger than the actual gift.  Thanks Natalie for the adorable outfit.  She looks like a doll in it.  Can't wait to see the cousins wearing their matching cloths. 

Wren and I got her a music card that has been entertaining every day since she got it.  Her favorite time to open and close it is during diaper changes.  ANYTHING to get her to be still for it.  

The beautiful birthday girl smiling at the end of her big day.  Despite her lack of sleep, Alea was such a good girl.  She had so much fun that she crashed at 3:30 for a nice long nap.  What a good girl. 

Last but not least.  This is a video of the family singing happy birthday and then her very first CHOCOLATE cup cake.  

We can't believe our little girl is a year old.  We look forward to this next inevitably exciting year.