Austin's First Birthday!!!

I know, I know, I'm more than a month late posting this! Forgive me (batting my eyes)? :)

So, Austin's birthday was July 24th, most of you Utahans are thinking, "Hey, that's pioneer day!" Well, I never really celebrated pioneer day, even as a Latter-Day Saint...mainly because I was born and raised here in the South and we don't tend to have many ancestors who made the trek from MO to UT. My point is that July 24th is all about Austin in our household. :D

Austin and Grandpa Kingrey

I worked really really hard on Austin's birthday party. I invited pretty much everyone I knew. I planned on doing everything I could think of as decorations are concerned. And I thought up an entire smorgasbord of food for the 50 people who had RSVP'd...including a paper mache'd whale with a chocolate fountain spout. ;) I was planning this party to be THE party of the year! Afterall, Austin, our dear darling, our entire world, was turning ONE!!!

In the process of planning and buying decorations, food, and entertainment, I stressed myself out, put my darling husband through H E double-hockey-sticks and back ( who already had a million things to do to prepare the house/yard for the party), and expected far too much of my close friends and family.

Two days before the party...let me back up...one month before the party I agreed to do a cake for a baby shower a friend of mine was throwing for her sister. The baby shower was to be held the same day as Austin's birthday party. Number 1: I should have said no and saved myself the stress of an additional cake to bake on top of Austin's HUGE cake. But my reasoning?...I thought to myself "what's one more cake? I'll just do it on Thursday so I can do everything else on Friday."

Three weeks before the party I agreed to do another cake. A two-tier wedding cake for a wedding to be held the same day as Austin's birthday party. Number 2: I should have said no and saved myself the stress of TWO additionsal cakes to bake on top of Austin's HUGE cake. But my reasoning?...I thought to myself "Eh. I might as well do this one while I'm in the groove of baking this other cake on Thursday."

Two weeks before the party I agreed to yet ANOTHER cake! Where on earth was my sanity!?! A two-tiered chocolate with chocolate covered strawberries cake for Austin's Doctor's birthday party to be held the day before Austin's birthday party. Number 3: I SHOULD HAVE SAID NO and saved myself the stress of THREE FLIPPIN CAKES to bake on top of Austin's HUGE FLIPPIN birthday cake! But my reasoning?...I thought to myself "I have a lot of respect for Austin's Doctor's wife. She's a great person and I want to make a good impression. Besides...what's one more cake gonna hurt?"

Wow, kinda stresses me out thinking back on it.

SO, on the Thursday before Austin's party, I baked THREE cakes. By the time Friday rolled around, I was so tired I could hardly stand it AND I still had a million things to do for Austin's party, family in town to entertain, etc etc. Friday was all about cutting up fruit for the chocolate fountain, baking Austin's HUGE birthday cake, making sure I had all of the decorations and tableware ready to be set up, and praying it wouldn't rain the next day during the party. I couldn't possibly have too many hands to help me. My mom, my dad, Brett and my best friend, Dawn, did SO much for me that day. I'll forever be indebted to them for their hard work. And as much as they did, I still didn't have enough help. I just planned too much and invited too many people. I really got far too ambitious.

But despite the troubles in carrying out all that I had planned, the party went really well and everyone had fun...even my darling nephew Chase, who is mentally challenged, had a great time! The rains did come, but dispersed before the party started. We did move most of the decorations and the food into the new garage, but the kids were able to still take advantage of the kiddie pools and the slip-n-slide...though I did forget to break out the water guns...but then that was probably a good thing. ;) I got to spend some time with my family and close friends. And, thanks to my sister-in-law, Dana, we got some GREAT pictures of the whole event!

The Cakes

Austin's Birthday Cake

I didn't get to get a copy of the baby shower cake...sorry 'bout dat. ;)

The Wedding Cake

Dr. Robinson's Birthday Cake per request of his wife



The Decorations

The Picture Banner
With the help of a few of my friends, I made this banner made of fish-shaped scrapbook paper and ribbon on which were pictures of Austin every month from birth to 12 months! :D

Table Skirt (to look like water...it had little fishies randomly attached to it!)

Happy Birthday Crab!
I made this big paper crab to go beside Austin's Happy Birthday Banner.
There was a crab on the birthday party invitations...that's where the crab idea came from. :)

The Whale's Chocolate Fountain Spout :D Yummy!

I made this with paper mache'!!! So much fun!

Havin' Fun!

Dig in...

Happy Birthday to you...!

Austin takes the cake...the top layer anyway. ;)

He does this with his feet every time we put him in his high chair. :)

Colonel Cake!

"Here, Daddy. You have some, too."

A big cakey kiss for Meemaw! ;)

Aftermath of the big cakey kiss.

"DONE!!!"

Ah! Don't get it on my shirt!

Time to hose off and go have some more fun!