Birthday Time! :)

Our little Mia turned one last Thursday.  We had Zeus's brother Danny and his family come into town on Wednesday and stay through the weekend to help us celebrate.  Hooray for family celebrations!  :)

Cousins Carlos, DJ, Dahnia and Mia

Mia (12 months) and Dahnia (9 months) in their matching "snug as a bug" pajamas.

On Mia's actual birthday, we woke up to pink and purple streamers decorating the kitchen - in case you didn't guess it, the Birthday Fairy decorated the kitchen the night before for Mia's birthday.  It's a fun tradition that my family had that I LOVED growing up, so I decided to institute that tradition with our family.  Zeus had two responses to the Birthday Fairy's decorating - 1) I LOVE it! and 2) Why didn't the Birthday Fairy decorate for MY birthday.  The Birthday Fairy felt duly chastised and will be decorating for his birthday as well from here on out.  :)  

Mia in her "1" outfit on her birthday.  Such a little cutie pie!  :)

After breakfast we went birthday party shopping to stock up on things for the party where I realized that we were going to end up BBQing  for Mia's birthday in addition to the snacks and cake and swimming that I'd been anticipating.  I wanted it to be a quick and simple and stress-less so didn't particularly want to BBQ, just to have snacking food that could be put out and be done with type of thing.  Apparently the first birthday in the Hispanic culture is a pretty big deal and includes BBQing and major feeding of guests, so I was overruled and decided to just go with it, especially as it's a family tradition on his side.

Lunch at Terra Burger which had a playground and splash pad, prior to shopping at Costco across the parking lot - Mia and Paulina playing in the water.

Uncle Danny and Aunt Hilda were such sweeties and got a small Tres Leches cake for all of us to share to celebrate the actual day of her birthday along with a little balloon that said Happy Birthday on it.  We sang Happy Birthday to Mia and she enjoyed the yummy birthday cake!

DJ giving Mia her balloon.

Mia was enthralled by the lit birthday candle!  :)

Mmmmm.... birthday cake - yummy!!!

The next day we headed to Sea World with Danny and Hilda and their family as well as with Paulina who I'm watching this summer.  I was torn between staying to get the house and food ready for Mia's birthday party the next day and going with the family, but was glad that we all went.  We had a fun time hanging out in the water park.  Dahnia and Mia especially loved the shallow pool bordering the front of the wave pool that they could crawl around in and sit and splash in.  We came home happily exhausted and ready for a nap!  :)  I could shoot myself that we didn't think to take any group shots or any shots of us playing at the water park at Sea World!

Zeus took this one when we first got there and were waiting on Danny and his family to get their passes.

I got this last minute one of Carlos, Hilda, Dahnia and DJ as we were leaving the park.

Needless to say, the morning of Mia's party was a mad rush on the part of Hilda and I to get the breakfast dishes cleaned up (why oh why did we do a big breakfast on party day?!?), clear off the counters and island, and get all the birthday food out and ready while Zeus and Danny ran to get the cake and balloons.  Everything came together (thankfully) just in time for people to start showing up.  At one point I was in a mad panic because I'd poured the punch into the drink fountain, turned it on, and the light came on but the fountain part didn't work.  After plugging and unplugging it numerous times, as well as sending up multiple prayers on the fountain's behalf, low and behold it started working - thank goodness!!!  I didn't have time to frost the cupcakes or mini smash cake for Mia, but other than that, everything else was done and ready and I just decided to skip the smash cake and just give her a piece of the yummy Costco cake we'd gotten.  :)

Hailey and Mia - yes, that dark little one is Mia, sporting a tan.  :)

Valorie, Ammon, Hailey and Mia getting ready to get their bday grub on.  :)

The darling twins I tutor Shelby and Taylor and their mom Rachel.

Savannah, the twins' older sister with Mia and Shelby.  :)  Sweetest girls ever!

The infamous birthday fountain with Tio Danny, Tio Carlos, and cousin Carlos grubbin'.  :)

Mia and I with Carolyn and Maddie (who was born with the same kind of clefting as Mia) who's only one month old and so precious and tiny!  She's the same size Mia was when she was born - man how a year changes things!

A very happy Birthday Girl and her favorite mama of all time!  :)

Family photo!  :)

Mia was enthralled with the birthday flame.

So I got distracted by the camera and Mia's excitement over the candle and TOTALLY spaced and skipped the "Happy Birthday" singing to Mia.  Sadness!!!

Chocolate birthday cake - YUM!

A whole fist full of chocolaty Y U M M I N E S S !

What?  Do I have something on my face?

Good to eat AND fun to finger paint with - bonus!

A beautiful day for a pool party!  Playing with Papa and Tio Carlos, with Amali and Michelle in the background.

The Rodriguez family - Amali, Michelle and Mauro

Stephanie, Mia, Leah, and I - Mia is one week older than neighbor friend Leah.

The family that plays together stays together...  :)  

I had a BLAST at the pool with my family and friends!!!

Friends and family playing at the pool.

A VERY happy birthday girl at the pool!

Then back to the house to eat BBQ and blow out the candle one more time (with the friends who showed up later) - this time we remembered to sing Happy Birthday!  :)

Dahnia, Carlos, Tio Danny and Tia Hilda 

Carlos and DJ are ready to help Mia and her papa open presents at the end of the day.  :)

I guess after two cakes, some streamers and balloons, some party food and a few times through of singing happy birthday, our little Mia is officially ONE!!!