It's a Party!

As a general rule, first birthdays are fun ... :o) And Matthew's obsession with balloons made it very easy to choose a theme ... Add some family and friends and you have a party! :o) (When you're already cooking for 10, adding 5-6 more really isn't a big deal.) ;o)

We enjoyed spaghetti and meatballs, caesar salad, and garlic bread. Mmmm. (A very easy dinner which was good, since Mommy and Aunt Janie spent 95%+ of the afternoon decorating desserts and cleaning!)

Peter lent his assistance in extinguishing Matthew's candle ...

And Matthew thoroughly enjoyed his cupcake, surrounded by encouraging onlookers!

Following dinner, folks dispersed for basement tours, a good game of corn toss,Fun on the swings, ...

And opening gifts. Hannah was very excited to give Matthew her own gift ...

And while Matthew pretty much just looks overwhelmed in most of his gift-opening pictures, the bat was a definite favorite. :o)

We all had a wonderful time and are so thankful for everyone who could be here with us!

And on a personal note, many, many, many thanks to Aunt Janie who worked hard to help me get everything ready to go! :o)