1st Birthday Party

Warning... This is a LONG Post! So many nice pictures were taken and this is just a sample (seriously)

Whew! It was a super fun day and Finley has been fast asleep since about 6 pm (not sure if it's for the night) after an afternoon of partying with all his friends and family. He had a great time at his 1st Birthday Party and made it till about 5pm when he had a bath and got in his pjs as he was indicating that he had his fill of partying and playing. I must say that the party was a success and I think everyone had a good time. I know I did and Finley did. Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate with us. Also a big thanks to my mom and dad who I don't know if I could have pulled this off without them and Nate's mom and dad who also helped out a lot.
I tried to include a picture of everyone at the party to really capture the mood of the party. It was a bit chaotic at times with about 10 kids running around!! Finley did the traditional Book, Bread and Dollar choice (Nate's families tradition). If they choose the book they will be a scholar, if they choose the dollar they will fall into wealth and if they choose the bread they will work hard for a living? Something like that. Greg can tell you. Anyway, he first touched the bread, then grabbed the dollar and a minute later paged through the book! I guess we will say half and half dollar and bread. He was equally interested in both. He will work hard for part of his life and fall into money?? LOL
He did enjoy his smash cake. No real smashing he just ate it bit by bit methodically and actually was about falling asleep as he did that. Uncle Josh helped him eat his cake too. After cake we opened gifts and Finley enjoyed the help of some of the bigger kids. That was nice because if we would have let Finley do it all by himself we could have been there for a year. Our friends and family are EXTREMELY generous and Finley got so many nice things. We are very appreciative! Again, thank you all. He is just thrilled with all of his gifts.
Over all it was a fun success. Our little guy rang in his one year with a super fun time. Beautiful weather, family, great friends, good food and good cake! Can't ask for much more right? Well, we only wish we could have had Nate there with us. I know Finley would have had an even better time with his daddy there!!

I am now exhausted from the party and this post (which I just finished and it's actually Sunday morning now)

Mommy and Finley

Happy Birthday Boy

Just having fun

Grandpa Bill and Finley

It's a Party

Cakes
`
Lisa, Anna and my Cousin Kelli


Erin and Lauren

Jessica and Bree

Grandma Patti and Finley


Uncle Josh and Finley (Finley is eating a truck?)


My Mom and Aunt Sue enjoying lunch

Leslie and Melissa


Cousin Connor


Grandpa Greg and Olivia

Mary and Izzy


Playing with Isabel

Lisa and Anna

Getting ready for cake


The bread, the book and the dollar

Smash?

Green and blue make turqoise

mmmm


Lauren enjoying her cupcake

The remainder of the cake

Gift opening time

Hugging his new puppy dog


Presents with his two great helpers Gavin and John

Presents with Aunt Heather and the boys


New Splash Table

Soaking wet from playing in the water

Happy First Birthday to Finley!!

Today Finley turned the big ONE!!! Wow, the last year has gone by fast if I may say so myself. Kids grow up so fast you can't blink!! I am only going to do a quick post since I am tired and still getting ready for tomorrow's festivities. I want to post some of his newborn pictures and do a little comparison and of course, have to get the 12 month chair photo! I will work on all my posting goals after the Party tomorrow!! We had pizza for dinner (a Finley favorite) and also I had gotten him a little cheesecake for today. To be honest he ate one raspberry off of it and only wanted to pick the whole thing up and throw in on the ground for the dogs. No interest in the cake what-so-ever other than throwing it? Needless to say we ended up taking his cake before we had a massive cheesecake mess on the floor and gave him a smaller piece which he then did feed to the dogs. We will see what tomorrow is like as he has a true smash-cake? I took a few pictures today and overall Finley was in kind of a serious mood most of the day? Maybe he is at odds with turning a year old and becoming a toddler? Ha?
All in all Finley is a healthy, fun, funny, crazy, lovable, and sweet little boy (with the occasional tantrum!). Happy Birthday Finley! Mommy and Daddy LOVE you so much!!

One Year Old!!


Birthday Boy this morning


Birthday Cheesecake...


Hmmmm I love Raspberries


Not wanting his cake


Present Opening

Playdate

We had a playdate with Mary and Isabel today. Though Finley and Izzy are over 6 months apart in age they are both interested in one another. Izzy also likes to check out all the different toys and Finley just enjoys having company over (someone other than boring old mommy). Finley can be overzealous though and we have to be careful he doesn't bop Izzy on the head too much... he plays rough with our dogs and cats so he thinks he can play like that with everyone. I am really working on "be gentle" and "be nice" but they only go so far? I just took a couple pictures today but they turned out cute. (Mary - you can steal them for your blog too!).

Mary, Isabel and Finley

Finley the sippy cup thief... the yellow one is Izzy's... his is the red one.



Sidenote: I don't really know why I haven't been blogging this past week? Just not a lot of excitement- that's a good thing!! We have just been living and keeping as busy as we can. I think also because I have been busy planning a little party for Finley's upcoming big birthday (FRIDAY!). I am sure I will pick up with the posts here...

Visitors!

On Wednesday my sister Tina (from the UK) my nephew Gareth and niece Megan all came for a visit to Madison to hang out with Finley and I and my sister Chris. They have been over here on vacation staying with my parents. Tina is my dad's daughter from a previous marriage. We don't see each other often at all due to the distance and I just met Megan for the first time. The last time they all came for a visit Megan hadn't even been born yet and Gareth was just a little boy (so were his two brothers, my other nephews who did not make this trip). Gareth was here last summer so we had seen him about a year ago. It was nice to catch up and visit though too short of a time. We decided on going to the Zoo and had a good time seeing all there is to see. All of the exhibits were actually open which was nice. Megan and Finley and I all went on the Carousel and Finley was terrified to sit on his Cheetah. I just stood and held him.
After our Zoo trip we headed to lunch and a little shopping. All in all it was a fun day and I wish we lived closer (not across the Atlantic) so that we could spend more fun days together. I think a trip to the UK may be in our future!!

Tina, Megan and Gareth at lunch

Being silly. Tina, Megan and my mom

Group Picture in the Best Buy parking lot... hence the Kohls behind us and Finley being pretty much done for the day

Gareth feeding the goats

Tina and Megan (and Tapirs I think?)

Gareth and Dad

Howie's Owie

Well, we just got back from the Emergency Vet at 10:00pm tonight. Howie basically ripped his dew claw off (being stupid in the backyard jumping at the fence). It was severed in half and hanging - graphic and gross I know. He was in a lot of pain and bleeding. I figured to avoid him fully ripping it off later tonight (and more blood) I would just take him to the near by Emergency Vet clinic and get him fixed up. My sister came to help and since it was only 8:30 pm by the time we could go we just took Finley thinking the appointment wasn't going to take that long. Finley wasn't acting very tired anyway with all the excitement. Finley was CRAZY at the clinic. What fun. They were pretty efficient as they did have other patients too. Howie had to have local anesthetic and have the nail removed. He cried so loud when they did the procedure we could hear him in the waiting room. Poor guy. He was also given an antibiotic shot to ward off infection. He got a pretty red bandage and a lovely cone collar thing which he is not tolerating but he must not gnaw on his bandage. He should be okay in a few days to remove the bandage. Let's hope for a good recovery and NO complications. Boy oh boy not exactly what I needed this Monday night but what do you do?

Rock County Fair

Today I took Finley to the Rock County Fair. We met up with friends, Leslie, Al, Melissa, Erin, Jason and little Lauren (Finley's buddy). It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed a few hours of walking around checking out the 4-H exhibits, animals, carnival and of course, enjoying our fair treats. Finley is in love with Lauren and the two of them played with each other even strapped in their strollers. The kids got free frisbees and of course balloons to make their day. What a fun day.

Ummm...whatcha doing goat?

Nice Goat

Mmmmm mini donut

Happy kid... mom's diet Pepsi bottle makes for that

The kids full tummy's and getting antsy


Lauren and Finley playing at Leslie's afterward