Happy Birthday Sweet Lauren!

I heard Lauren fussing this morning in her crib, so I grabbed the camera to capture the first moments of her first birthday!


Auntie Kendie was here last night helping me bake and clean and do all of the little things that needed to be done for Lauren's Birthday Parties. Yes parties. At around 10pm last night, I convinced her to stay and help me finish baking lots of cakes and then haul a load of stuff up to my parent's house the next day. She agreed. So Lauren had her first slumber party!

Lauren woke up, had her bottle and was acting tired again so her and Auntie took a morning nap while I ran to the store to buy salad fixings for the playgroup party today. Last night, Auntie and I ate a whole container of fruit salad that was for the party. Ooops.

Kendall came downstairs and helped me get everything ready for her playgroup party. We served Caesar Salad and Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Cake Pops for Dessert. And of course, Trader Joes Sparkling French Berry Lemonade!

Lots of fresh flowers in pink and yellow decorated our house.




And soon, Lauren's friends started to arrive. Only 25% of them were able to come. There were a lot of people out of town, or busy entertaining guests in town. There was just one problem; the birthday girl was still upstairs napping, so I went up and woke her up. She was not too happy about that!


After her guests left, we opened up a few presents. Despite the fact that I said no gifts, Maren and her son Brooks and Jamie and her daughter Charlotte brought Lauren gifts. So sweet and thoughtful! Lauren opened her gifts with little to no help at all.






Then, Lauren opened some gifts from her (boyfriend) Aaden. We did an elfster gift exchange with a few of our far away friends, and Allison and Aaden drew Lauren! We are actually staying with them when we fly to Northern California next month for a 3-day play date. These are the picture collages I made from her elf gift.





The rest of the day was spent baking birthday cakes, packing and organizing for a weekend in Temecula to celebrate Lauren's First Birthday!