Celebrating Sugar.

We had a nice little get together the day before Sug's birthday. Party company included the kellers, the bongiovis, grandma buttars, the dixons and a very excited three year-old brother, who happens to know all about the fun of birthdays. He helped danny open all his presents, helped him eat his cake and blow out his candle. And he kept telling everyone that his own birthday was coming 'in a few months'. Quite a few, to be exact.

We love birthdays at our house. They are a big deal to me and to Jared, too, although he may never admit it. We print special pictures, buy  balloons, make cake and write down our wishes. And I cry. It comes with the territory of motherhood, it seems. All day Friday, I kept looking at the clock all evening, thinking, this is when my contractions started, this is when my water broke, this is when we were hauling ass down alameda trying to get to the hospital. This is when I thought I was dying. This is when Danny was born. It hardly seems like a year has past, and yet it has, and I cannot believe it. What a sweetheart boy we have in our home. He honestly brings so much laughter and happiness to us. Last summer, I was missing my set schedule and my sleep, but this summer, I can honestly say I can't really remember life without him. We love this sugar boy.

At one year old, he weighs 24 lbs, is almost walking, still prefers bottles over food, thinks it's the end of the world if he's too hungry, loves the bath tub, loves his brother, loves tiny cars (just like morg), loves Baby Einstein, loves his blue and white striped blankey and his passey. He sleeps the entire night through (thank the good Lord), and still takes two naps. He likes to be rocked to sleep and is the most cuddly baby I've ever held. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I could nibble away at him all day.

I love you sugar. I'm your biggest fan and always will be.

{His favorite present, thanks Bongiovis!}

{Cake time}

{cookie monster cake, appropiate for such a hungry boy}

{paws}

 

Sugar high for Sugar
(he didn't go to sleep until 11pm that night)

{company}

 

{lovely megan}

{take one, take two}

{balloons and wishes}

sunday morning, on his actual birthday

Parties and more parties...

in Preston and Logan

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{Danny boy with pretty aunt megan}

{with daddy}

{attempt at acting out the nativity scene}

{a visit from santa}

{morg, levi and bodie in matching jammies}

{my two darlings}

{  grandma with danny (6 months) and his twin lincoln (11 months)  }

For a birthday girl.

Dear Aunt Megan:

Today is the day we all get to celebrate you!

We love you so and know you'll get super spoiled all day long!

Happy Birthday, my dear!

Xoxo,

Holl and the boys

And a special video from your besties.

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photo credits:

http://www.ffffound.com/

http://www.causematters.files.wordpress.com/

 http://www.thesweetoccasion.com/

all via Pinterest.

The Wedding, The Reception, The Bongiovis, and some other stuff.

Last Thursday, our baby Megan grew right on up and got married. It was a beautiful temple ceremony which we all decided that Megan and Drew may have been too starry-eyed to remember later on, but we will all never forget it.  

The temple sealer was the cutest old man I've ever seen, and may or may not have slightly resembled the great Yoda. We did some figuring and realized he must have been in his nineties, if not the very latest eighties. He was sweet and heartfelt and told Drew he'd be wise to never forget her birthday. Then, by the end, he told us that as we congratulated them after he was done talking, to remember we were still in the sacred temple and to not be 'too hilarious'.

We are still giggling about that.

Old(er) people are just so cute! (And awesome!)

The best part for me was getting to sit next to my sweetheart, and seeing Stacy with tears in her eyes at having all of her children in the temple with her. There's something so sweet about coming full circle.

Friday, after work, we tucked our child in tightly and drove home for the wedding reception. We listened to  old Weezer songs the whole way there. All the while, I was thinking that there might be a rule somewhere about being parents and (not) listening to Weezer. Ah, well. The best thing about the whole evening was driving the country roads home with delicious fields of mint and corn on each side.

We got off the exit just as the sun went down and spent the next twenty minutes with our hands out the windows. Summer at home is my favorite. And dusk in the summer at home is even better, when the fields have been watered and cooled.

I almost always claim to be a country girl at heart. Each summer, it's reaffirmed.

For the reception, Jar and I were in charge of decorating. It was million degrees outside and the beautiful hydrangea flowers wilted as soon as we put them on the table, which wasn't so great. It was a slight fiasco, really. (Especially for an OCD gal like me.) But, overall, we had a lovely time. I enjoyed following Megan (and Drew) around with my camera, and watching Jared catch up with our old friends.

As for the time inbetween my last post and now - our computer had issues (again) and was in the shop (again). It's up and running (again), but we'll see how it goes.

Visit here for more pictures of the wedding.

PS- We get to stage a home for the Parade of Homes this weekend. The staging will take place tonight, and it just may turn into a big nightmare. But, once again, we'll see how it goes. Alas, the theme of our lives these days.

Cross your fingers. (And say a prayer!) (For me!)

Love you all,

Hollie Rae

{photo by Moments By Kellee}

Bongiovi Wedding Pictures: A few (out of 849).