Paul is 1! (a few months ago . . .)

Wow, there's a lot to catch up on when you only write twice a year. :)  That said, I'm choosing an event to start with that is both exciting and noteworthy.  Paul turned one in May.  I couldn't believe it had been one year since his birth.  He is such a wonderful, sweet little boy and I love him so much.

We started the day with a birthday tradition my family always did: waffles with strawberries and whipped cream.  This birthday breakfast came about because my dad often worked late while we were little and so he often missed the evening festivities.  In order to include him, my parents instituted birthday breakfast.  I love breakfast in general, and this is quite tasty, so it has been something I brought with me.  My college roommates even did it for me one year.  Moving on.  Paul LOVED the breakfast.  I'm pretty sure he really liked the whipped cream the most, but he dug right in an enjoyed it!

Please note that if you look closely, you can see his little mouth open with his tongue licking the plate.  Such is the fun of a semi-transparent plate.  It was cracking us up.


We had some friends over to help us celebrate.  The Briggs and the Boyes came over for hot dogs (in our firepit) and cupcakes and ice cream.  One of the perks of living where we do is that our small yard meets with a school field, and so we just go play in the school field when we find we need more space.

Kyle made me laugh when he decided to use a stick to light the candle, rather than a match.  What a guy.

Paul was not sure of his cupcake.  I think the problem centers around the frosting.  I have yet to perfect the first birthday cupcake frosting.  This frosting was kind of a flop all around texture-wise, but it was still tasty (in my opinion) so we went with it.

Although he ate some of it, he never really embraced the cupcake.  Becca did a similar thing at her first birthday.

We decided to get Paul a patio toy.  We found the one on the right (the one Becca is sitting on) on KSL.  The Boyes brought over the Lightning McQueen one when they came for dinner.  Their son won it somewhere, but they already had one, so they brought it over.  It has worked out well having both.  The Lightning McQueen one was the favorite by far.  It makes fun noises, and it's a little taller, and therefore easier for a parent to assist.  

My children are wonderful and I love them so much.  Becca is such a good big sister and is such a good helper.  She is sweet and funny and she loves her little brother.  Paul is a delight.  His smile wins me every time.  He loves to laugh and even enjoys an occasional snuggle or two.  He studies Becca so often and anything she thinks is funny ends up being funny to him as well.  They are amazing.