Ellie's 1st Birthday Party

Ellie turned 1 this past Sunday!  So hard to believe.  We had a little party for her on Saturday, and it was really fun.  

I had been excited about giving Ellie a one year birthday party for months... I can't explain why exactly... I'm not usually one to get excited about this type of thing.  But, I think I just was so excited for her.  I couldn't wait to celebrate her life.  It's been one amazing year, and I think all of that pent-up joy, delight, and effort needed to get out somehow... and somehow it turned me into Betty-Homemaker-Cutesy-Party-Thrower.   Hmmmm.

Ellie's invite was my first-ever Photoshop project, which takes care of #18 on the "30 before 30" list!
I was proud of myself.

Having just moved back to Texas after 4 years away, I thought it would be fun to go with the "Texas" theme, which I know all of our out-of-state friends will think is just so.... well, typical.  Texans have their state pride, that's for sure.  Who else frames their flag and hangs it on their wall?  No one, apparently.

That flag is always there, by the way!  See? Texas pride.

Ellie already owns her first pair of boots, courtesy of Target.

We had a Texas flag cupcake cake, PBJ sandwiches cut in the shape of Texas, pink Texas-shaped sugar cookies, Dr. Pepper, sweet tea, layered dip, and yummy ham and cheese sliders from Annie's Eats (not a Texas thing, but still... soooo good!).

Texas flag cupcake cake, made "girly" by using pink and turquoise instead of red and blue.

Hmmm... what to think?

She loved it!

All the friends and cousins, minus Felicity.

Melting down.

Future BFF Felicity who drove all the way in from Dallas.

We are so thankful for Ellie's first year, with all the ups and downs.  Thanks Thomas and Bozeman cousins, Flarey, and Mimi and Papeaux, for driving in from so far away just to celebrate Ellie with us!  And thank you to all of our friends and Nini and Papa here in Tyler for being there.  We love you.