Birthday Celebration!

After our visit to the Arboretum, the girls got into their swimsuits and swam with their Papa while we got Olivia's birthday supper ready. We decided that the meal should include all of Olivia's favorites, so we made sweet potatoes, a lentil and rice dish, and grilled chicken. Olivia isn't a huge meat fan, but we wanted to eat something else while she enjoyed cubed cheese - her favorite.

After supper, we sang "Happy Birthday" to Olivia and brought out her own individual cake. I made her a double banana cake with buttercream frosting which I'd gotten from Bon Appetit magazine a few months before. I thought it would make a good cake since it sounded delicious and she loves bananas. We thought she would attack her cake and go crazy, but she didn't. Instead, after we finished singing to her, she reached over, grabbed a handful of cake and frosting (mainly frosting) and tasted it. She obviously liked what she tasted and tried another handful....this went on for maybe ten minutes and then she was done. She didn't really destroy the cake and didn't seem to overindulge either. We had another cake for us that we enjoyed with ice cream.

Finally, even though it was well after the girls' bedtimes, we decided to open Olivia's birthday presents. She had packages from her Grandma and Grandpa, Great Grandma Van, Uncle Jay and Aunt Cynthia and family, Great Aunt Shirl and Great Uncle Steve, and her Mommy, Papa and Sofia. Admittedly she wasn't that interested in opening presents and needed a lot of extra help from her sister, but we finally got them all opened and she really enjoyed her toys that made music and the stuffed bunny from her Great Grandma. She got an adorable swimsuit and over-up from her Grandparents as well as a cute, frilly outfit. Her Great Uncle and Aunt gave her a sweet and delicate white dress and knit sweater which will fit her in the spring. Once we finished up, we put our big one year old to bed!

The banana birthday cake

Playing in the pool with Sofia and her Papa

She loves the water and being tossed up in the air

Sofia and her Papa having fun

Enjoying her birthday dinner

Our big birthday girl - she's wearing a hat Sofia made in art class over the summer. I thought it was cuter than a store bought hat, although she didn't keep it on her head for long.

Our sweet (and tired) Sofia

The four of us...

Singing "Happy Birthday" to Olivia

Blowing out her candle

Her very first bite of birthday cake

Yum! I LOVE this picture - Sofia's expression is priceless!

Going in for more

Olivia with her Grandma and Grandpa

Yum!

Making sure it all makes it into her mouth!

The damage to the cake

All of us after a very fun day!

Olivia and her birthday presents

Olivia's adorable swimsuit from Grandma and Grandpa

Her adorable bunny from her Great Grandma

Her musical ice cream cone from her Aunt Cynthia, Uncle Jay and family

Opening a present from her Papa, Mommy and Sofia

Playing with her "cell phone" from Grandma and Grandpa

The beautiful dress and hat from her Great Uncle and Aunt

With Grandma and Grandpa on her first full day as a one year old!