Here we are. One full circle around the sun since our dear Layla Grace was born! The sun was shining the day she was born. I could see just a glimpse of it from the delivery room. Then we moved to the post-partum room, and the rays were streaming in the giant windows of the hospital! It was beautiful. That same sunshine poured into our home on her first birthday this week, and it was just glorious!
Layla’s birthday week has been spent celebrating and just enjoying the warm weather. Saturday was her birthday and we spent most of the day preparing for her party on Sunday! We baked cakes and cupcakes and decorated my mom and dad’s living room for her woodland creature themed birthday party. As you can probably imagine, I was a little busy come party time, so I don’t have that many photos from my phone. But I have plenty on my “big camera.” I’ll get to those soon.
I got these giant animal balloons off of etsy, and target supplied the number 1 balloon. After we finished decorating and cake making, we went home for a dinner of fried rice. That was Alethea’s favorite when she was a year old so we thought we’d give Layla a try. She was not as big of a fan as Alethea was but she still enjoyed it. Then I had snuck a few cupcakes away for her to have at home on her birthday. She had a blast smashing the cake all over her tray and eating all of its goodness.
I got Layla some flowers for her birthday. While I’m sure these are not the specific roses that her middle name Grace is named after, they are very close in color! Thanks Walmart for the good find of the day.
Layla got a whole pile of new toys to play with! I told my whole family not to buy her any clothes because we have 3 giant bins full of the next size! That sorting process is going to be real fun when I come to it. Not.
Layla and Alethea spent the whole week playing with her new toys, and we set up her teepee she received in the living room. It’s so huge I really have no idea where else we can put it. It would take up Layla’s entire room. And well…we put one of Layla’s really big toy’s in her room and it feels like it takes up the whole room as well. LOL It’s a mickey mouse garage and car wash! It took me about 30 minutes to put all the pieces together. My goodness…if you ever find yourself creating a set of instructions, and the toy is full of bright colors, for the love of all things good, DON’T MAKE THE INSTRUCTIONS BLACK AND WHITE. I could’ve been done much sooner. Haha.
The day after her birthday party, Layla learned how to clap! She’s been clapping ever since. It’s been so fun around here. She scrunches up her nose, and gives me a huge smile, then claps and claps!
Alethea and I painted some wooden easter eggs this week! We have a few more that we can do this week as well. We went to Michael’s as well and got some more really fun crafts to add to our new craft bin! Really, after I filled the first one pretty quickly, I realized I had to get a second. So now we have TWO full craft bins. Good thing we love crafts.
I tried my hand at making potato pancakes this week. I’ve had a hankering for them recently. It’s been a long time since I have had them. I’m sure the last time was at King’s family restaurant, which they tore down a while ago. There is another kings in our area, but let’s just be real: it’s no where near as good!
So I looked up a recipe and went for it. And well…they were okay. Not exactly what I had in my head that I wanted. But they looked very similar! So I just gotta come up with a few extra ingredients to add, then try again!
Jonathan and I recently started watching Warehouse 13. Ever since we started dating (almost 5 years ago!) we have gone through many tv series. However, when Layla was born, we had to take a break as we needed the extra sleep. Who am I kidding, we still need the extra sleep. Haha. We just don’t care as much anymore…maybe.
Anyhow, we finished the first season of Warehouse 13, and I am HOOKED. Good thing there’s 5 seasons. I’m a sucker for a good, unrealistic mystery. Really though, I’m not picky when it comes to shows, I just don’t like anything super scary.
The trees are budding. Some flowers are popping through. The first day of spring has come and gone and here we are, enjoying this absolutely beautiful day. I hope you are too!
Love Deeply. Live Passionately.
Ellen
