Organic carrots. Lentil barley stew. The simple things in life. That's usually how we roll.
But sometimes you just need to have your rainbow layered, sugar-coma inducing cake and eat it too.
Caleb's first birthday was just such a time. The only word I can think of to describe this past year is full. There was no looking at the glass and wondering if it was half empty or half full. It was most definitely full to overflowing. It was full of celebration and blessing. Brandon graduated from law school, passed the bar, and started a new job. We bought our first house and moved to a new town to make new friends and find a new rhythm. We celebrated when Brandon's dad made it through his bypass surgery safe and sound. We celebrated when Caleb came through his surgery safely as well after months of sickness. The year was full of joy and gratitude and victory. It was also full of exhaustion from months of studying, working, packing, unpacking, and caring for a sick baby who rarely slept. It was full of failure--of realizing the extent of my own patience and energy and realizing how much I need the grace of God. It was just full. And so, to celebrate the full year that we shared with our healthy little boy who is full of life, we threw a party full of sugar and color and the people we love. It was delicious.
Caleb's favorite toy is a little vintage bead maze I picked up at the antique mall here in Monroe. I made that toy the theme of our a-MAZE-ing party (yes I know, very punny). I spray painted some wire I found in the garage and used it to make this bead maze door wreath and cake topper. He loved it. So did I :)
I am frosting challenged. I used to try and try to smooth that buttercream frosting out until it looked, well, smooth and buttery and creamy. Now I have embraced my buttercream handicap. I hope you look at the cake topper instead.
I ordered some fun rainbow cupcake liners from etsy and filled them with color coordinating snacks for the little ones: orange goldfish, yellow bananas and cheerios, green peas, red strawberries, and of course blue berries! It made snacking easy and a little cleaner with the tots around.
This is a horrible picture, but it looked so cute in person. I saved baby food jar containers for a month and stuck squares of colorful streamers onto the sticky glue left from the baby food labels. They were the perfect serving containers for fresh veggies.
Cake in one hand, cookie pop in the other. Does life get better than that? The only thing that could be better is eating that in a ball pit.
I love you, sweet Caleb, and I am so happy you are part of our life. I wish you many more a-MAZE-ing years full of sugar and joy and family.
