Gracie Joy's 1st Birthday- 8/20/09 start at the bottom

Wow, she looks beat and very full in this picture. We got her cleaned up and put to bed quickly after this. What a fun, stretched-out birthday couple of days. Until next year...

DEAR 1 YEAR-OLD GRACIE:
We love waffles, eggs, bacon, sausage, OJ, strawberries, maple syrup, chocolate cake, chocolate, oreos, presents, clothes, and toys, and family/friends, and of course YOU- GRACIE! That is right Gracie. More than all of this fun and yummy "stuff", WE LOVE YOU! All the other stuff is not necessary, just for fun. But you mean the world to us and we would do anything for you. We are so glad you were born and glad we get to be your parents. Just forgive us when we mess up and make mistakes. We aren't perfect but we are going to try to raise you the best we can to be a righteous, beautiful, and kind daughter of God. Because... that is what you are! Never forget that and I hope you will always treat others like they are too. That is very important. You will have a great capacity for touching others lives and influencing others for good. You already have just as a little baby and I am not just talking about your parents and your relatives. Strangers have been affected by you. I hope you have a desire to do good and make others happy by spreading the knowledge and hope that you came to this earth with and will grow up practicing it. Your dad and I love you and we can't wait to see the awesome woman you are going to become. Just promise me you won't grow up! Okay? You are so sweet you are making me cry just thinking about it. (Although, you know your mom- that is not hard to do!) You are the best thing that ever happened to me and your dad. We love you so much! I am looking forward to lots more fun times together. You're my best bud!
Love,
MOM
(That is the first time I have ever signed "mom" before and I am so silly it is making me emotional... I should have signed "crazy mom" instead)



















I made her name on her cake and the flowers using the chocolate transfer method on wax paper as well. Only I used the front instead of the back because I liked the textured side instead of the smooth side for the cake. As you can tell I had lots of fun with the preparation. And Gracie and Luke did during the party and while eating it all. Ooohh! Yum.









Then on Sunday, we finally cut her chocolate cake and let her go for it. She tried her hand first which was cute but then she just stuck her face right down on the cake and took a bite. It was funny. Then finally she was using two hands in it. I still can't believe Gracie is one. Crazy how times flies isn't it!




















So the waffle party was on Saturday at 9:00 and we had over 20 people in our small house, but it was way fun. It got a little hot when everyone was here and all the griddles were going but it cooled off quickly once we stopped. Lenna and Uncle Chet were awesome cooks. We couldn't have done it without them. It was like a real breakfast restaurant. And Luke even was the gatekeeper/valet. Just kidding-he didn't really park anyone's cars, just let them in! And he was sporting his pajamas and bedhead too. I love him even though he was one of the first people to eat.

Luke showed her how to lick the plate. Gracie learned real quick. And got extra helpings of just strawberries. hee hee!

After dancing and opening presents, Gracie got to dig into her waffle cake. It was made of 3 waffles with strawberries and whipped cream in between. It also had a candle on top. I think Gracie liked this better than her chocolate cake later. Especially the strawberries!


























Gracie was also going for the older guys. It was so cute when we opened up this bat from our cousins Nick and Cade who are way into baseball and play very well. They are so cute with Gracie whenever we are with them. So it was way cute when they picked out this princess bat and a cute learning bug toy too. They even let Gracie hit them over the head with it.






Gracie loves playing with her boyfriends. Carter was so cool because he came sporting his PJs! Nixon was pretty cute too. He is so good at climbing the stairs. Fun bath toys Lenna. Gracie loves them.




Gracie loved all of her presents but she has carried around this little purple purse with shoes in it daily since her birthday. Thanks Hailey!


























Happy Anniversary Rick and Lenna on 8/20 too! Thanks for coming down. Someday Luke and I will have an "Old Fashioned" wonderful Romance like you two too. We love you!










































As always Luke wished he was the birthday girl!

































Preparation pays off! But then you gotta clean up. The 3 neighbor girls came over to see what we were doing. We let them write their names with the leftover chocolate. They ate it and then helped clean.





Gracie was having a really bad actual birthday because she was teething her second tooth- on the bottom. She had a fever and her snot was running so bad it was making it hard to breath with her binky and when eating or drinking, poor girl.






















































We decided to make oreo suckers again but this time with chocolate transfers for decoration, idea from BAKERELLA at www.bakerella.blogspot.com. This was so fun and easy to do. It would be very easy for kids to do as well. I just use white or chocolate almond bark. Melt it down in 30 second intervals, color it with non-waterbased food coloring, and then put in a squeeze bottle to draw with it. You put your image underneath wax paper to trace. Then when it hardens you peel it off and you have 3D cake, cookie decor. I love it and it was so super easy and fun. And you can make a bunch and store for later! I think I will do something spooky for Halloween. My friend did the one on the right without a squeeze bottle, just a spoon. Cassidy is talented!

So it's my birthday and I'll cry if I want to!

Yeah it's my party and I'll cry if I want to just like the song says. I am not too young to know that song. My mom used to sing it all the time. I love the oldies. And that is why it is okay if I cry on my birthday. I hate this crown cause it hurt my head and my mouth was driving me nuts. It's like there was these knives constantly jabbing in my gums cause my second tooth is trying to break through. It hurts so bad though and makes my nose run so I can't breathe that sometimes I think I wish I wouldn't get teeth. But then I think of all the good food there is yet to try and I guess I will buck up. The purple grape stuff that mom gives me in a dropper thing tastes so good and helps though so don't feel too bad for me.

I should tell you thought that I had very good behavior during my party which wasn't actually on my birthday, I was born on the 20th, Thursday, but people came to part-ee on Saturday morning. I woke up way early (about 8:00) because I was so excited. I think I forgot about my teeth or they just gave me a little break that day. How nice! I ate breakfast before everyone came so I could share my high chair with my friends. Sharing is the nice thing to do! And I can't count yet, but mom said we had 21 adults over to our house including Grammy Lenna and Papa Rick and my 3 bestest boyfriends over to play (no, their not adults). My Uncle Robert and Heidi and my cousins were going to come but then my mean mom had to post-pone them coming until Labor Day. I don't really understand but she said something about not enough room for all the company. She was so sad she was crying. It made me sad too. I wish we had a big old house and could acomadate everybody. Mom cried a lot over it, but they said they understood. We will get to see them soon.

My mom told me she was very surprised that I could part-ee with out crying for as long as I did. But I wasn't surprised at all! When there is a party- I am not gonna be the pooper. Ha ha get it? "Pooper!"
After the baby dance party where I danced to "Jump Around" by house of Pain and "Move It" by ?, I let mom open my presents, stared at everyone awkwardly while they sang "Happy Birthday" to me, and ate my strawberry waffle cake. I fed some to mom and dad, and polished off the bowl of strawberry goop (so good btw, I recommend it!), dad took me for a bath. Then I came down and played around with my new princess baseball bat and my pink heart purse and wandered around. People finally left so we could have some peace and quite and I finally had the house to myself again and no boys stealing my stuff. (I wonder if they are going to pop the heads off my barbie dolls someday. They better not or I will take them and wop them upside the head with my new princess bat.) Did I mention I got a new princess bat from some somehow distantly related cousins who just adore me and always play with me at the family barbecues. Yeah they are way into baseball. Nick even plays on a scouting team. We are going to watch him play on Saturday. Anyway, I am getting off track and my mom is falling asleep because she has heard all this before. And she wants to stop typing and go to bed. She says dad is going to be disappointed with her in the morning because of staying up so late but what's done is done. But I am going to stop her there and finish later. I want to tell you about all the rest of the cool gifts I got and actually show you the pictures so you can see what happened for your own eyes. My mom made this gorgeous cake too. Her friend Cassidy came over and brought James to play while they made sum yummy oreo suckers. You should see the cute pictures. But I have to convince mom that it is a priority to put the pics on over this Luau thing she is doing on Friday. Wish me luck and cross your fingers cause then you might get to see the pics sooner. Gotta go. Until next time (hopefully soon),
Your sweetest Gracie

Thanks for thinking of me!

Out of the blue and a sunflower too! I don't know what I did to deserve this but thank you. It meant a lot that you thought of me. Thanks to a good friend. I love you!

Happy Birthday to Gracie Joy!

My Baby is ONE! AAAAHHHH.... How did a year go by so fast? Last year I didn't even know her and I was all fat and stuff. Now she is not little any more. She walks, and talks (says binky, dad, mom, thank you and hi!) Lots of pictures coming up I promise. But for now I am celebrating and getting ready for her Waffle Party that we are having on Saturday Morning! If you can make it, please come for all the waffles and pancakes you can eat. Starting at 9. Otherwise wait for pictures. We will miss you family and friends.
I made this post at the exact time that Gracie was born. I love you Gracie! Thanks for your part Luke! Hee hee :)

After 4 years, I finally finished my tie skirt!!!

I have been collecting neck ties to make a tie skirt. The only problem is it has taken me 4 years to collect enough ties to make the skirt because I didn't want to spend any money on it. I got the idea when I saw a girl wearing one in while picking a movie out in Blockbuster. Only hers used the whole length of the tie so it was really long and flowing. After doing a little research online about all the different kinds out there I decided I wanted to make mine short and sassy but classy at the same time. I can dress it up with a collared shirt or sweater or I can just put a T-shirt on with it and I have got my dose of funk-e for the day. I like to have a a few funky things in my wardrobe to change it up when I am feeling that vibe. I just got this cool old-fashioned comic strip bubble gum pink shirt from Target with a matching $2.00 belt that fit the bill. I love it, but not as much as my tie skirt. Now I want to collect some more to try some variations on the skirt. So if you have any ties, please send them my way. I would love it. Luke and his dad have pretty much been cleaned out. And DI has them but they are still expensive. I guess that will be my next garage sale find too. Keep your eyes out. And if you want one, I would love to make one for you. Seriously!FRONT (above) SIDE (below)
BACK (below)
The thing that is particularly cool about this one compared to others, is I took the lining out of the ties so it is not as thick and bulky, making for a fine silky, sleek skirt. The waistband is made from the other end of the ties. And I also made some little boy's ties from the other skinny end for Gracie's boyfriends.