Alphabet birthday bash recap...

Some might say I went a bit overboard with Cash's first birthday party. And those people would be right. I really enjoy planning parties, and the enjoyment only magnifies when it is for my little nugget.
Happy 1st birthday baby boy! We love you.
The family member who came to the party. Thank you all for coming. It really meant a lot to us.

Why not start with the gifts...

Cash's cousins loved helping him open his presents

Sweet baby Keller made it to the party. What a trooper.

Some of my best friends ever. Thank you guys for coming..

Little Miss. Kyler made an appearance in her leapord swimsuit! What a cutie!

He wasn't 100% sure if it was cool to dig into his cake or not. But he enjoyed it...

Cash and his Cici...

Cash and his Lala...

My mom and cousin, Dillyn

Me and some of the old b-ball girls..

Some of the kiddos enjoying the slip n slide

And shall I introduce Miss.Ellie? Look at that cutie...

Just getting some lovin from his cousins

The Allen's ladies... minus a few

The proudest parents in town...

Just having a quick convo with Mr. Keller

This was Ellie's first outfit of the party. Yep, if I have a daughter it will be dangerously expensive.

Alphabet magnet favors for the kiddos...

Alphabet sippy cup favors for the kids...

Dr. Seuss's A B C book favor for the kids

More presents than he could possibly need

I loved his highchair birthday banner...

Dessert table pics...

Alphabet sugar cookies... that tasted amazing.

Again, thank you so much to all those who came and helped with the party. Cash had a blast and that is the most important thing.

Love,

E

My baby is 1...

I am not quite sure how I feel about this. Happy yet sad. Excited yet destroyed. I mean, how can 1 year fly by so fast and so much change in such a short time? Cash's party was a great success. Everything went off without a hitch and I cannot believe how many people came out to celebrate this huge milestone in his life. I will be posting birthday pics sometime today and these are the picture that Cash will look back on one day and smile. Because he saw, from such an early age, how loved and adored he is.

Thank you so much to all who came and helped with the party. I would not have been as great as it was without y'all. Cash got more presents than he could possibly need and more love than he could possibly dream of.

Thank you again,
E

When did this happen...

This is what a Saturday night has turned into around here.

Dinner. Playing. And a mommy-son dance in the living room with a sun spotlight on us.
And I don't mind the change one bit...

And yes, I am well aware that my toes are crooked and long.

Semi update...

Cash,

You have surpassed the 11 month mark with no melt downs, quite a few bumps and bruises and bloody mouths, and still completely captivating our hearts. I am not going to write this post about any new stats, mostly because you haven't been to the Dr in a few months and I don't know your new stats. I am not going to write about things you are or aren't doing now that you 11 months. You are doing everything you were before...just better and louder.

What I am going to write about is you.

You will read this one day and probably think that I was in some sort of an emotional melt down or just extremely gushy at the time, but that really isn't the case. I have thought about what I want to write for a couple of days now and each time I change it because there are plenty of things I left out the first time. So here it goes...

I believe that now, more than ever, that you truly are an angel. And I mean that. I sometimes find looking at pictures of you and swearing that I see wings forming on your tiny back. I find myself watching your chest rise and fall when you sleep and realize that is what perfection looks like. Watching you dream is like watching a sunset on a deserted island somewhere. Peaceful. Serene. Perfect. I catch myself still smelling your little baby body and I am convinced that is what I am going to smell in heaven. It just has to be. You have captivated our souls and hearts and have done it in an unexplainable way. Every fiber in my body believes that God hand-picked you to be our first-born because he knew you were the perfect angel for us.

My friend Chelsi once made a statement that I believe to be true of most parents and their children. I am going to butcher her quote because she said it about 6 years ago, but I will try to get the point across. She said, "My parents have always believed in me. They have always encouraged me to try new things and step out of my comfort zone. They encouage me to walk to the edge of a mountain and jump. Not because they are crazy. But because they believe I have wings and that I can fly."

No truer statement has been made. I believe that you have wings, Cash. I believe that you can fly. I believe that your angel wings will carry you through this world in true style and that you will not only live in this world, but Cash Ryan... you are going to change this world.

Love,
Mom

New family pics

I have decided to make it my personal mission to have family pictures taken (or try to have them taken) every 3-4 months. It may seem a bit over the top, but I am fully convinced that it is a decision that I will be happy with later on in life. I love having someone else, and by else I mean someone who is talented, capture our lives and the growth of our family. Okay, I will shut up and let the pics do the talking... Thank you so much Ginny Henderson from Houston, TX for our amazing family pics!

Love,

E

The most important thing a father can do for his children is love their mother"...

I normally write my blogs towards my sweet little nugget. I mean that is predominately who this blog is about. But, I think every now and then I need to make an exception.

So, Cash, this post is just as much for you as it is for your daddy. It doesn't apply to you until later in life, but humor me.

As a newlywed, life is simple. It is just you and your spouse. No one else gets your time. No one else gets your attention. No one else gets your heart. You have the luxury of being a bit selfish at times and the freedom to live life without a concrete plan.

Post baby, let's just say life changes a bit. Okay, life changes a lot. Not saying it changes for the worse by any means, but no one can admit that it doesn't change. You now have a schedule to follow for naps and feedings and baths. Your snuggle time with your husband may be interupted by a baby's hungry cry or a bad dream. Your spontanaity falls by the wayside sometimes when you have a sick baby or a tired baby. Not to say that you can't be spontaneous or live life without a schedule, but it is a bit harder to do after a baby.

But my sweet son, pay attention. You have the best role model to demonstrate how to treat your future wife...

I love that your dad isn't afraid to kiss me in public or hold my hand in front of his friends. I love that he tells me everyday that I am his first love and that he will always love me more than he loves our children. I love that we can drive in the car for hours and he frequently reaches over to hold my hand just because he knows it makes me feel special. We laugh hard and love hard. And we fight hard. But that is just the way we are. My son, you will know how to love your wife and make her feel like she is the most important person in the world because your daddy set the example.

Noah sometimes gets the short end of the stick because Cash requires portions of my time. He accepts it and rarely complains about it. Notice I said rarely, because he does notice it and points it out to me.

We have made it a point to spend more time together as husband and wife. To show our love no matter where we are or what we are doing. To let Cash and our other children know that we love them more than anything in the world except each other. It is a concious decision that we have to make every day. Some days it is easier than others, but a decision worth making.

To my husband Noah, I love you.
Love,
E

A much needed vacation...

After a much needed vacation, it is back to the real world. I will reluctantly go back to the every day grind and routine of normalcy. But before I do, I wanted to share some pics from our vacation to Houston and a little town called Mason, Texas. Not many words in this post, just lots and lots of pictures.
Noah and his big brother, Caleb, at one of their birthday dinners

The crew again at a splash park in Galveston, TX

Me and my sweet nephew, Brady

Daddy and his little nugget, who is covered in sunscreen and a bit exhausted from the splash park
Sweet cousins going for a wagon ride


Of course we had to get picture of the cousins in their matching outfits
All of the Allen girls decided to have a girls night out

Welcome to the middle of nowhere in Mason, TX
Noah with his Papaw and brother, Caleb
All the girls in the "hat picture"

The entire family, minus just a few

The Allen siblings again

Samuel, Noah's younger brother, and his mom, Susan during karaoke

Love,

E