Claire's 1st Birthday Party

The Lady of the Day

The Theme: Claire's Winter ONE-derland!
The Decorations



The Guests: Her Nursery Pals & their Families
.... Daddy & Sister too ...
... and let's not forget Grandpa Hines who made a special trip from Michigan!

The Menu:
Eskimo Stew (White Chili)
Polar Bear Soup (Potato Soup)
Melted Snowflakes (Cheeseball - which was created by one of the Mom's)
Mini Snowman Delight (PB&J) & Snowmen Noses (Carrots)
Snowman Buttons (Peanut Butter Balls)

The Cake & Eating it too!

Snowgirl Cake

The Gifts

All of the gifts she received are not pictured. Along with the shoes and some board books, she also got a phone that talks and rings (which we have tried to convince Kate that it is not hers), and a bag of Mega Blocks.

Thank you to those of you who were able to celebrate her birthday with us, and also a big thank you to those of you who celebrated her birth from a far. We had a fun time playing a few games, eating, and watching the birthday girl devour her cake and stare at her presents.

We love our little Claire-bear and are thankful for her easy smile, her fun personality, and how we see God's grace in your development already. We look forward to the next few years ahead where we will really get to know you better. We pray that you would come to a knowledge of Christ very early in your life and put your trust in His goodness in EVERY circumstance that comes your way. Love, Your Mama & Dada!

Traditions

I never realized before marrying Don how many wonderful traditions would also come with the promise of "I Do". It has been so much fun to look forward to these special times and now as our family has grown we are adding new traditions and adjusting old traditions to accommodate our little ones. We have come to LOVE the day after Thanksgiving as a day to go and snag some great deals, check off our Christmas lists (usually all in one day), and then proceed home for a long winters nap, followed by decking the halls with our Christmas decorations (all except the tree). The tree has its own day during the first weekend in December. This day we make a homemade soup in the crockpot, run to the store and purchase some apple cider, break out the yeast and knead some homemade bread (or throw it in the bread maker!), and usually pick up a dozen donuts for dessert. However, this year, I found a recipe for homemade donuts and thought we would give it a try. They turned out FANTASTIC. This will definitely be added to our traditions portfolio for the years to come . . . and will be more enjoyable as the girls get older and can really get their hands dirty in the dough! Here are a few shots of our family fun night. What are your traditions and do you have any tips on making Christ the center of your holidays?