Birthday Boy

Isaac's birthday party was a lot of fun on Saturday! He was surrounded by friends and family who love him, and it was a day to celebrate! We are officially the parents of a one-year-old... wow.

we waited in sweet anticipation for Isaac to have his cake debut with this adorable personalized cake

it was fun opening gifts with Isaac... however, he didn't understand the concept of MORE, as in, there are MORE to open! Every time we opened one, he wanted to play with that one and he'd get upset if we took it so that we could open another. Don't worry, we have one Christmas ahead of us, and by his next birthday I'm sure he'll have this down.

family pic with the birthday boy

it actually took Isaac a good five to ten minutes to warm up to the idea of having some cake (stubborn little stinker!). You'd think we were giving him a plate of brussel sprouts by the way he turned up his nose! With suspicion in his eyes, he seemed to say, "What is this, why is everyone watching me, and why do you want me to eat it when I don't see anyone else eating this stuff??"

but finally Daddy was able to slip a bite into Isaac's mouth. And with a bit more coaxing, Isaac finally caught on and made his fair share of damage (although not quite as messy as the storybook 1st birthday, but that's okay). Suspicion evaporated as he carefully and intentionally enjoyed his birthday cake, one little bite at a time.

and, in fact, Isaac thought Daddy was so excited about the cake that maybe he should have some.

Daddy ended up covered as much as Isaac was! What a good sport (I'm sure he didn't mind)!

the "after" picture

Noni and Papa with the birthday boy

Gamma Lynn and Grandpa Bob, as well as Kevin's sister Julie, were with us via Skype. That was really cool! I love it when technology bridges the gap between us!

Me and Amanda, the cake artist. She's awesome! I couldn't have asked more perfect cakes for Isaac! And after my sad attempt to make his personal mini cake failed miserably, it was Amanda to the rescue. She hand crafted his cake, and it was absolutely perfect. Thanks so much, Ananda!

A lot of friends came to celebrate with us, and that meant a lot. Thanks so much for coming everyone! Isaac may have been wondering what the big deal was, but we certainly appreciate all of you and are so happy that you could come to enjoy this milestone with us.
Corrie, Todd, Chevy, Alex, & Leslie

Autumn & Krista

Caleb was happy once he got his cupcake. Boy, if Isaac wasn't interested, here was one ready to take care of that cake problem for him!

Danielle, Colleen, & Jaimie

Kyle & Amy with Austin & Sydney

Sara, Russell, Rachel & Brian

Erica & Kevin (thanks for driving all the way over from Cali!)

birthday boy with Daddy

Mindy, Jaimi, Krista, Amanda, Autumn & me

Frank, Mark, Isaac, Kevin, Tom & Jake

Mindy & Todd (thank you so much for your incredible hospitality in hosting the party!!)

Danielle with sweet baby Seth (look out, he'll be one before you know it!)

Erica & Me

Uncle Tom as The Enforcer in the wrestling match between Caleb and Levi

swingin' in the sun, just swingin' in the sun. what a glorious feelin' .... swingin'

Later on, we went to Buca di Beppo for dinner, and Isaac was wondering why all of these people were singing to him - AGAIN!

Well, if he didn't understand the concept of frosting earlier in the day, he got it at Buca!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ISAAC!!

Isaac, we love you!!!

Fine Day to Make a Fort

One day a boy named Isaac was meandering around the living room when all of a sudden a vacant box building appeared before him...

"Wow! This is my lucky day! Looks like it's in good shape," Isaac pondered to himself. "It even has some toys inside... But I'm just not sure. I need an inspector to look at this place before I claim it."

Inspector Daddy at your service!

"I'm glad to have your assistance, Daddy... err, I mean, Inspector! Would you please check this place out for me?"

"Why sure, Son. I'd be happy to oblige," Inspector Daddy replied.

"Well, how does it look, Inspector?" Isaac asked.

"It's lookin' good so far, Son, although it is a little tight in here for my taste," answered the Inspector.

"So??? What's going on in there?" Isaac asked.

"One more minute, Son! I'll be out in a jiffy... if I can wriggle my way out..." Inspector Daddy replied.

"Come on! I'm waaaaiiiittinnnnngg. Can I play in there yet?"

"Yep, yep. I'd say it's alright... watch out, here I come!" came the muffled reply.

"Let's have a go at it; I'll give you a tour. Now here we have the windows, perfect for peering out at the world and any passersby."

"Ooh, do these toys come with the place?" Isaac inquired.

"Sure do, Son! Looks like they are perfect for you."

"I love this place! It's all mine! I am going to name it....Fort Isaac!" the boy proudly proclaimed.

"Watch this! I can open and close the doors to my new hideout!"

"This. Is. AWESOME!"

Huey

Isaac sat in the back seat jabbering away as we rode home from Mindy's yesterday. He was telling me all about his day, you see. Pretty soon he grew silent with thought, and a couple of minutes passed by before Isaac started asking about his friend Huey. You see, Huey stays at home to hold down the fort while we all are out during the day.

Isaac: "Doo-ee?"

Me: "Did you miss Huey today?"

Isaac: "Doo-ee?"

Me: "Yeah, Huey is at home waiting for you. I bet he's going to be so excited to see you!"

Isaac: "Doo-ee! DOO-EEEE!" (jibber jabber followed)

Me: "We're almost home, Sweetie. When we get home, we'll find Huey and you can see him, okay?"

At this point all Isaac could say was Huey's name. So as soon as we clobbered through the door, we went straight to his room. The moment Isaac laid eyes on Huey, a huge smile crossed his face from ear to ear. He reached out his little arms and embraced Huey like a long-lost friend and covered him in wet kisses.

We walked to our bedroom, and I set Isaac and Huey down on our bed. As I changed my clothes, I watched Isaac laugh with glee and roll around with Huey in sheer delight as he repeated, "Doo-ee, doo-ee, [jibber jabber] doo-ee." Apparently, Isaac wanted to tell Huey all about his day too and probably how he missed his friend so. He also seemed to want me to know that Huey is his friend because he kept lifting Huey up and looking at me to say, "Doo-ee!"

I wish I could have caught all of this on film, it was too, too precious!

Isaac likes to give Huey rides around the house in his own little box-mobile.

Huey looks like he's having a good time too.

And at the end of the day, it's Huey who keeps Isaac company through the night.

Marinera Facial

So...... the secret to baby soft skin?

Smear dinner all over your face.

For the Third Time in My Life...

I went golfing yesterday! Yep, we were a little nuts for going in the middle of summer, but we had such a great time with Mindy & Todd!

We played at The Legacy where Kevin works. This resort was rated #1 in ESPN Magazine for 2008-09. He's so proud to work there, and I love seeing him enjoy his job so much.

So pretty. I love the monsoon summer views of pluming clouds in the distance. The Legacy is set on historic property in South Phoenix, lending itself to beautiful views and rich heritage.

Mindy and me

Mindy & Todd

Here I am! Third time in my life participating in the game. This is something Kevin and I would really like to start doing together more often. I really enjoy getting out on the course and being with Kevin in his element. And it helps to have a golf pro for free playing lessons!

Mindy and I played as a team and held our own pretty good! We played "best ball," meaning that we each took turns hitting the ball and played our next shot from whoever's ball was in the best spot. At this point, late in the game, we started to take turns hitting one ball. And obviously this time I didn't put her in the best location. However, she had been asking for the bunkers all afternoon because she loves the sand so much. So consider this as her wish being granted!

The guys...

... and just a few moments before that ... haha, like I said, it was SO HOT. We were melting - even with the cloud cover from the approaching monsoon. But it was all worth it for some adult time with our friends. That was fun!