Audrey's 2nd Birthday Party

On Saturday, October 12th, we celebrated Audrey's 2nd birthday with a wonderful party.  

We chose a One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish party theme because Audrey loves Dr. Seuss books and loves this one in particular.  

Grammy Patton really put a lot of her touches (and time, resources, money, and effort!) into this party.  We keep telling her she needs to be a party planner!  We really appreciate everything she did to make this such a special day for Audrey.  

Beautiful food display.  Decorations (including handmade wreath and banner)
courtesy of Grammy Patton.  We served pizza and salad on the crates.

On the left side of this picture is a Gack where the kids could play "Ring the Gack."
That's right, we have the only Gack in town.  Grammy Patton made that Gack
with her new saw and then hand painted all the details with a little help from
her brother, my Uncle Scott, who was visiting from TN.

Guests could sign the book and leave their wishes for the birthday girl.  Sign reads,
"Stop here you see, and write a very special message to Me!  A Birthday Wish
or just sign your name, So I will never forget you came.  On the front, on the back,
or any of the pages.  It is something I will treasure for all my ages! Love, Audrey 10-12-2013"  

Here is the beautiful dessert table.  Auntie Ashley made the "2" sprinkle cake and all
the delicious cupcakes.  The cake was funfetti and the cupcakes were a mixture
of funfetti with funfetti frosting (minus the sprinkles) and carrot cake with cream
cheese frosting.  So beautiful and, most importantly, so delicious!  The carrot cake
cupcakes were my (and a lot of guests') favorites!  

The dessert table also had fish cookies from Mariano's and
fish bowls of swedish fish, colored goldfish, fish sweet tarts.

 Audrey certainly had a lot of fun celebrating with all her friends and family.  What a great day it was!  Thank you to everyone who came!  (Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of everyone who came.)

And a special thank you to Grammy Patton and Auntie Ashley Patton for everything they did for the party!!  What a special party for a special girl.

Audrey and Maci Whetstone with the Cat in the Hat

Audrey and Maci sitting in Audrey's new chair/bed from Auntie Amber

Auntie Jennifer and cousin Ross Larson

Audrey and Maci playing with baby dolls

Audrey and Derek Carroll (neighbor) playing Ring the Gack.  I'm guessing Audrey won?

Ring the Gack:  Audrey, Colby Marr, Fiona Carroll

Audrey's new car from Grammy and Gramps

I think she likes it!

Audrey and Auntie Ash

Audrey with Grammy and Gramps

Crystal and Maci Whetstone, Abby and Audrey, Colby and Cynda Marr

with Katie and Frank Baio

Audrey and Auntie Amber

Audrey with Grandma and Grandpa Larson

Apple of Our Eye: Audrey's 1st Birthday Party

On October 20th, 2012, we invited friends and family over to celebrate Audrey's 1st birthday.

It was a wonderful day!  The weather was perfect, almost 60 degrees and sunny.  Beautiful Autumn day.  And better yet, we got to celebrate our Audrey Elizabeth's 1st year!  

 

Grandma & Gramps Patton

Grandma & Grandpa Larson

Grandma Patton, Aunt Faye, Great-Grandpa Hahn, and Uncle Jim

The party was the BEST birthday party I have ever been to.  My Mom outdid herself again!  We chose an "Apple of Our Eye" theme, but we wanted very girly colors, not the typical Autumn colors that go along with October and apples.  It turned out to be even better than I could have imagined.  Of course my Mom (Grandma Patton) took on the role of ultimate party-planner, and I can't thank her enough for all the work she did to make this party so memorable for us and for Audrey.

We set up tables in the garage and a tent with chairs/tables on the driveway for more seating.  Since it was such a beautiful day, a lot of people spent time outside.  

The food was set up inside in our kitchen/dining area.  Grandma Patton made a really cool frame that hung above the food table.  It was a collage of all of Audrey's monthly pictures through her first year with a 1-year-old birthday picture in the middle.  I don't have a good picture of the food table... best I can do is this blurry picture of the collage with pink and green balloons on the side.  As for the food, we served shredded BBQ chicken, bratwursts, coleslaw, and chips.  We had juice boxes, caramel apple cider, bottled water (with custom labels), and beer to drink. 

The main feature of the party was the dessert table.  Grandma Patton and Aunt Ashley really outdid themselves with this dessert table.  

A friend of mine has a side-business where she made cake pops and oreo balls, Pops n' Balls.  She made the Apple Cake Pops (spice cake and cream cheese frosting) for our dessert table.  Delicious!  We also had lollipops...

Apple Jacks and Caramel Corn (from Del's Popcorn Shop in Decatur)... Homemade Apple Pies baked in mason jars (believe it or not, I made those!)... 

Confetti Cupcakes with hot pink frosting (courtesy of Aunt Ashley)...Audrey's "smash" cake on a beautiful cake platter as the center piece for the dessert table...

Hot pink M&M's... Snickers Caramel Apple Salad with a pretzel and a candy lime for the stem and leaf...

Caramel Apples (from Del's Popcorn Shop in Decatur)...

and baskets of Granny Smith Apples...

The dessert table definitely added a "wow-factor" to the party.  And all the guests really loved the desserts.  I thought we were going to have tons of leftover candy, but there wasn't too much remaining after all guests had left.  

Audrey had 2 outfits for the party.  She wore a pretty pink tutu with this custom onesie that said "Audrey The Apple of Our Eye".  I loved this big pink flower headband, but that didn't last too long.  :)

After we ate dinner, we sang Happy Birthday to Audrey.  We left the candle unlit because I was a bit paranoid.  Next year, she can blow out her birthday candles.  :)  

Then we let her dig into her cake. 

Carl had to help her really dig in.  She wasn't as interested in this cake. 

But it certainly does look like she went crazy, doesn't it?  What a silly girl!  

After the cake, Audrey got a bath and a new outfit... her birthday dress.  I had a pillow case dress made with a hot pink apple decal and Audrey's name.  She had a blast opening all her presents...

 

Rocking horse from Grandma & Grandpa Larson

Handmade carousel horse made by Uncle Ross

We will never forget Audrey's 1st Birthday Party.  What a beautiful event for such a special girl!  Big, big thanks all who came and especially to my Mom for taking this party to the next level and making it so memorable!

God Bless Audrey Elizabeth Larson

Our baby girl was baptized on Sunday, February 19, 2012 at the 10:30am church service at our church, Shepherd of the Hill Lutheran Church in Lockport.

It was a wonderful service where both Audrey and another little boy were both baptized.  Audrey was such a good little girl.  She didn't even cry when the holy water was poured on her head.  

After she was baptized, Pastor Dealy and his assisting minister, Meredith, "introduced" Audrey to the congregation as the newest member of the church.  She looked so beautiful in her gown!     

Carl and I asked our good friends Cynda and Andy Marr to be Audrey's Godparents.   Cynda and I have been best friends since High School and we've experienced a lot together.  They are really important people in our lives, and it was an honor that they want to be so involved in Audrey's life.  Audrey is so lucky to have Cynda and Andy as her Godparents.  They care about her so much and are such great role models for her.  Even though they live in Springfield (about 2 1/2 hours South of us), I'm excited for our families to grow up together.     

Audrey's Godparents: Cynda and Andy Marr

Pastor Dealey

Grandma and Gramps Patton

Great Grandpa Hahn

Grandma and Grandpa Larson 

Aunt Amber & Aunt Ashley

We wanted to celebrate the occasion with our family and friends and have them all over to our house for a luncheon celebration.  

We had a lot of people travel in from out of town to be with us:  

• Audrey's Godparents, Cynda and Andy Marr and their son Colby (10 weeks old) came up from Springfield
• Cousins Kadie and Bella also came up from Springfield
• Cousins Keely, Matt, and Chloe traveled here from Indianapolis
• Aunt Faye and Uncle Jim and Grandpa Hahn came up from Decatur on Saturday
• And of course my parents (Grandma & Gramps Patton) and Ashley came up from Decatur/Forsyth on Saturday morning

It really was a beautiful celebration.  Grandma Patton is so creative and so talented and worked so hard planning for this party.  Isn't it just beautiful?  We cannot thank her enough for this amazing party!

We moved out the furniture so we could fit the tables and chairs

Beautiful fresh flowers decorated each table and the dessert table.
These containers are the same ones that we used for the pew decorations and
cocktail decorations at our wedding.  

The main feature was the dessert table.  Grandma Patton made the sign, all the
tissue pom poms, and the paper chain. Isn't it amazing?

Desserts: Cupcakes, White Chocolate Covered Pretzels, Jordan Almonds, Hershey Kisses,
Puppy Chow, Wint-o-Green Mints, M&M's,  Sugar Cookies in the shape of a Cross,
Iced Rice Krispie Treats, Pirouettes, Sugar Cookies shaped and decorated as Baptism Gowns,
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Squares (not pictured), and Cream Puffs dusted with powdered sugar (not pictured).

As soon as the church service as over, Amber and Ashley started cooking.  Here, they are making the pasta for the salads and the soups.  

We served homemade Portillo's Chopped Salad, Pasta e Fagioli, and La Gondola (Decatur, IL) sub sandwiches 

Grandma Patton and Aunt Amber

Gramps Patton, Great Grandpa Hahn, Ryan, Kadie Patton, Keely McClure

Keely with Audrey

Gramps Patton and Great Grandpa Hahn

Great Grandma & Great Grandpa Bockelmann, Aunt Janet, and Grandma Larson

The Larson's: Carl, Uncle Tom, Aunt Jeanie, Aunt Cheryl, Ross,
Uncle Ross, Aunt Keri, Jennifer, Jill, and Grandpa Larson

Aunt Faye with Audrey, Matt and Chloe McClure

Last picture... I have to post it.  Check out Audrey's bloomers!  She wore them under her baptism gown.  Love them!

The bloomers were a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Grider