Addie's BIG BIRTHDAY PARTY!!!!

We try and make a REALLY big deal in our house about birthday's. I just believe that, especially with more than one child, it is one day where that child is a star for THE WHOLE ENTIRE DAY. Our kids love it. So, we got up really early in the morning and started Addie's day by taking her to her first birthday breakfast.



For Addison's first birthday, we had a fun night with a bunch of friends and family. I made some delicious "Cafe Rio" salads that I googled and found a VERY good recipe for. They were so yummy! We all just sat around visiting and eating. It was definitely my kind of party.

She was going straight for the fire, so I had to blow the candle out for her before we got a chance to sing.

I have worked really hard keeping all sugar and dairy products from this girl for a whole year(of course, except for what her Nana and Aunt JoJo have slipped her behind my back) so she was loving the cake. She only took a couple of bites, though before she got really bored, I guess, and started dumping the cake all over the floor.

Rachel, Maya and Daisy eating the yummy cake.

Addison loving her present from Aunt Cheryl. (my camera battery died so I only got a few of the present openings). But she also got some adorable outfits from everyone and fun bath toys from Nana and an adorable book from Grammy and Bapa.

Kai sneaking into the olive's. This kid is rarely without food in his hands.....especially at a party.

Birthday Girl

I made Addison a fun little party girl tutu for her birthday.
She looked so darn cute in it that I just had to go take some quick pictures of her looking oh-so-adorable before the party started and the inevitable cake mess ensued. SO glad I did!

Happy Birthday Addie Girl!

I can not believe that our Addie Girl is 1 already!!! Where has the time gone?! I know it is so cliche, but I swear it was like she was just born yesterday. Really!
I look back and I remember all the changes and her growth and development....but a WHOLE YEAR....really!!!!
To say that Addison has been such a incredible additon to our family would not even come close to what she has been and what she has meant to our little Pabst family.
She is the soft ray of light in our chaotic, and crazy world.

A year ago today was one of the best days of my life...
I love you so much Addison.

A Boy and his Ice Cream

...forget the ice cream....this boy is DELICIOUS!!!!

...simply irresistible

We are expecting a visit...

...from the tooth fairy, that is.
Maya lost her first front tooth today. Or, should I say, Maya yanked out her first front tooth. She is much tougher than I.

Checking out her work in the mirror...

and showing off her new smile..

Still as cute as ever...

The Portland Waterfront

Today Nana and Papa invited us to take a walk with them around the Willamete river water front in Portland.
It was such a beautiful day....just a bit on the chilly side, but compared to what we have been used to here, it was so nice to spend the day outside.
The kids loved being able to climb on the rocks and run up and down the path. Kai especially loved crossing the big Hawthorne bridge.
It was a nice day and the kids were exhausted by the end.
A VERY GOOD day

I thought it was kind of funny there was a suicide hotline sign at the top of the Hawthorne bridge. It probably isn't too funny to the person or two that may need it at just the right moment...but for me, it was a bit funny.

Addie girl passed out the second we got back in the car.

Ballet Lessons

As a Christmas present for Maya, Anthony and I enrolled her into some ballet lessons. This was one of the only things that she asked for this year. She had her first lesson this weekend. Anthony and I took all the kids with us to watch because she was a bit nervous. It was so cute. She learned the ballet 1st position, 2nd position, and 3rd position today and loved it! Her face was just beaming the entire time!

My kind of New Year's Resolution

My good friend, Shauna emailed me this list and I thought it was so great.
It reminded me of when Anthony and I were dating. We used to do this kind of stuff all of the time. It was one of the things that made me really fall in love with him. One time, after a date, he just stopped in the middle of a busy intersection when it was our turn to go and we just sat there through like two lights as people were driving around us and honking. I freaked out at first and then, after a while we were both just laughing so hard. It was GREAT!
I also used to drive around in my old VW car with a big gulp glued to the top just to get people's reactions. It was the greatest form of entertainment. My friends and I would laugh so hard that I thought I was going to die. Crazy, I know but this kind of stuff is right up my alley.
I think this will be part of my new years resolutions. To take the time to ENJOY life a bit more and to laugh more often.
To Maintain A Healthy Level Of Insanity:

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars, see If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice!

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, ask If They Want Fries with that.

4. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.

5. In the Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write ' For Marijuana'

6. Skip down the hall Rather Than Walk and see how many looks you get.

7. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.

8. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is 'To Go'.

9. Sing Along At The Opera.

10. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You have a headache.

11. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream 'I Won! I Won!'

12. When Leaving the Zoo, Start Running towards the Parking lot, Yelling 'Run For Your Lives! They're Loose!'

13. Tell Your Children Over Dinner, 'Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go.'

I have actually done #7 before...pretty funny. And, Maya and I do #6 all the time except for I am never really paying attention to who is looking. Plus, it might be a bit different doing it all alone without a 5 year old.

Giving Mom a Break!

MaYa, being the sweet daughter and person that she is, noticed I was feeling a bit frazzled and tired tonight so she asked if I needed a break. She said that she would get Addison dressed for me.
This is one of those times that I have to let go of my parental control and just let her do it because she was being so sweet.
It took her about twenty minutes but was so worth it.
She wouldn't change her diaper, though. I guess even my sweetheart, Maya, has limits.

Happy 2009!

We had such a fun New Year's this year. We invited a few friends and their children over to our house and had a great family-friendly New Year's eve party. The kids all had so much fun together popping balloons, playing games, watching movies, and eating. The adults had fun chatting, laughing, playing games, and eating.
The kids miraculously all stayed up until midnight and we rang in the new year Pabst style...VERY LOUD!
It was such a fun night with good friends.

Me and my hubbie....or is it, my hubbie and I...(either way, he is mine)

The Fox's: Jesse, Amy and baby Jessica....

The Beddes's: Aaron and Cristy...

The Wilcox's: Tiffany and Ryan...

Some of the cute munchkins at the party...

Playing games...
Cristy and Aaron with Addie....

The kids having fun with the glow sticks...


My New Year's kiss from Kai Boy!...

HAPPPY NEW YEAR!!!