Dash's 1st Birthday

Our baby turned one on Wednesday.  We had a small dessert party for him with our family.  Of course greatly missed our Grammo and Papa from Albuquerque but we look forward to celebrating again with them in October.  What a great excuse to have b-day cake twice!  Dash dug right in and seemed to enjoy his debut of cake deliciousness.  On a side note, the cake was actually edible this year.  Unlike last years cake for Josh which was down right cute but completely disgusting.  (remember, even the dog wouldn't eat it) My favorite part of the party was the banner of pictures from all 12 months.  I got the idea from our photography friend Sarah (the one who always takes our family pictures).  It was so much fun to see his smiling face change and grow from month to month!  We have his doctors visit next week and I promise to update then with all the important facts of weight, height, accomplishments, and things we just plain love about our Dash-a-dude!

It's Definitely Time!

He needed it so badly, I put it off for too long, and now my baby is officially no longer a baby.

New Trick

Look what Dash can do...

Fourth of July?

Yes, this post is about the 4th of July. Like I said, we've not been home, therefore the blogging has suffered. This year was an incredible fourth and there is no way I could not share it. Let me start in 1983. That's the year I started going up to Utah to spend the summers with my Grandma and cousins. I went every summer until I was 16 and every year my Aunt bought us matching cousin outfits to wear on the fourth. The town is absolutely tiny (no stoplights) and they always have the perfect all-American small town parades, carnival, and fireworks display. The celebration is one of my absolute favorite memories from my childhood and I jumped at the chance this year to share it with my boys. So, Josh, Dash and I flew over to Albuquerque and then drove up to Blanding, Utah. Of course, my amazing Aunt Patty had the boys' cousin shirts all ready for them! We stayed with my Grandma Arthur in her little house that always fits our family just right. And what a blessing! Little did we know that would be our last time at Grandma's house before the stroke. Oh praise God we went. It was a wonderful weekend. Full of family, food, and a whole lot of red, white and blue. Josh was surrounded by cousins his age, which is the greatest delight to his heart. He stayed up to watch his first fireworks display and ate way too much candy! I really hope this can become a tradition that they will grow up and cherish as well.

Four girls, five boys, all under the age of five, all in cousin shirts.

His hand on his heart as the flag comes by. Love it.

cousin time

Perfect.