One Year Pictures

Wow, I have had a list of blogs I have wanted to write, but it has been a ridiculously busy last couple of weeks.  When it rains, it pours I guess!

Some of you have seen a preview of her pictures on facebook.  Our photographer put up about 15 pictures (which is a BIG "sneak peek"), so those were most of best ones.  I thought I'd share here anyway though.  Just in case there are those who are not on my facebook page.

We loved the person we used for our newborn pictures, but she is SUPER expensive.  I knew I wanted an independent professional photographer to do our pics, verses sitting in a studio.  The blog Kelly's Korner (I've mentioned her before on here) was having a link up party once to show what you sell.  I noticed there was a local DFW photographer.  She is a stay at home mom just starting out.  Her prices were reasonable, and I was all about helping out a fellow mom.

We met at a local park in Plano, TX.  It was super hot (of course!), but we all managed.

Olivia didn't know what was going on at first.

But she warmed up to it pretty quick...

I love this one!

Then we wanted to try to see if she would hold them.

Our photographer wanted the field in the background.  Unfortunately, that left the sun right in Olivia's eyes.  Plus, getting her to hold the balloons was tricky.  I had to wrap/tie it around her wrist and even that wasn't really working.

I had the idea that we would have Olivia let the balloons go, and the photographer could snap a picture of them floating up... or her watching them... or something along those lines.  Well, no matter how hot it is here in Texas, it always seems windy (check out the balloons!).  You know... "Oklahoma, where the wind goes sweeping down the plains".  Yeah.  It sweeps right on down here to North Texas! That didn't happen.  They flew off super fast.  Oh well.

Then we took a walk down the path and took a few pictures with the "ONE" I made.

You can see that Olivia was a little hot.  Her hair is sweaty in some pictures.  It was 6 at night too--not 2 in the afternoon!

This seemed to be a fan favorite.  She actually does that with her foot a lot.  She taps it sometimes too.  Silly girl! :)

Since these files are so big, I don't want to make the post so full that it takes forever to load.  I am going to post the pictures of her in her other outfit tomorrow.

Olivia's Party

The party started at 2 and people were prompt! :)  Everyone chatted at first, and I encouraged the kiddos to head to the craft tables.  Soon after people were eating.

We had a total of 16 adults (3 of the husbands couldn't make it) and 11 kids (3 ended up not coming).  That included us.  It was a nice sized party.  Not too big and not too small.

This is one of the best pictures I got of us.  Unfortunately, Olivia's naptime had to be cut short for the party.  Our church has Saturday night service, so our party couldn't really be after her nap and I didn't want to do it too early in the day.  Partly, because that would cut into my decorating time and partly because I didn't want to serve lunch.  She was tired, but did a great job!

I got ready at the last minute. I was so hot.  My hair was droopy, and I had no time to touch up my make up.  Thankfully I didn't look as much like the train wreck that I felt.

Our party was 5 couples from our life groups (or the halves that didn't have to work), my boss and Little man, Michael's mom, and two of Michael's friends from high school that now live here too.

After crafts, eating and mingling, we opened gifts.  We saved the gifts from us and her grandmas for at the house.  I didn't know how she was going to do.  One year olds don't really "open" gifts.  I didn't want a long drawn out process.  People get bored.  Since there was only 8 families represented, there were only 8 gifts to open.  Not bad.

Reading the card from Little Man...  My boss got her 2 swim suits and 8 outfits/dresses.  She has a whole new wardrobe!

Olivia had pulled her bow out, messed up her hair, and looked super sleepy in all of the pictures.  Besides clothes from my boss, she got pajamas, hair bows, books, a toy phone, another dress, two toy picnic baskets, and a doll.

Next up was the pinata.

Each kid pulls a string until the string attached to the trap door releases the candy.

I was taking pictures and Michael was holding the pinata, so my boss took Olivia over to pull a string.

It was taking longer than expected, so it ended up turning into a free for all.

It was literally the LAST string pulled.

Obviously Olivia doesn't eat candy, so I didn't even have a bag for her.  She did get in on the action though.

(Unfortunately, I'm new to the whole DSLR world and the focus is not on the right object.)

It takes a long time to pick up five pounds of candy off the floor!

Next up was cake.

 Everyone singing

Blowing out the candle

She went right for the bow.. which was gumpaste, so I took the bow and beak off.

She was pretty slow going with it.  Not like the when we did her pictures.

 I eventually shoved her hands in it a little.

Looking at daddy

I served cake to everyone, people chatted for a bit, and that pretty much summed it up. :)