Sunshine 1st Birthday Party (pics and video)

What a day of celebration for our little girl!  After a long time of dreaming and planning and doing, the day to celebrate India's first year of life came!

But first, here is a picture of her last day as a technical baby!

And here she is on her actual birthday!

OK everyone, take me serious, because I am ONE!

We had a Sunshine Party last weekend in honor of our girl. 

Think: Mason jars, classy country, gentle yellow and white, fresh breeze, barbeque, lemonade, music, fresh blue water. 

Here were the invitations to her party!

We decorated and my Dad even turned on the fountains in the front of the house....

The entrance to the party

The Birthday Banner that took hours to make!

India, month by month!

Beautiful hydrangeas!

The sweet birthday girl was a bit overwhelmed with all the people and was pretty sober the whole party, but was very interested in someway, somehow, getting outside!

We not only celebrated her first birthday last weekend, but her Daddy led us all in dedicating her to the Lord.

Of course, since we knew I was pregnant, we've dedicated her to God, but it was great to do it corporately with our closest friends and family members!

For the dedication, everyone gathered, Dallas and I shared a little bit (and cried),and I played the piano and sang a song.

Then we all gathered around her and whoever wanted to was welcome to pray blessings over our little India girl. 

Her Daddy closed the prayer time.

We then went down to the beautiful lake for Barbeque and Sunshine Party! 

It was the perfect day for swimming!

For the 10 days previous to the party, the weather forecast was horrible, predicting rain, which isn't a great thing considering this was to be a Sunshine Party!  Thankfully, the weather completely changed course and we all had a great (but hot) party outside. 

We had some yummy snacks, while waiting for the Grillmaster!

Cold drinks on a HOT day!

Everyone had their own personalized Mason jar for drinks!

Then we ate, and celebrated with cupcakes!

The menu: brats, hamburger beans, chips and watermelon!

My homemade, slightly unstable cupcake stand. :)

Yellow cupcakes, with buttercream frosting and lemon curd filling!  YUM!

Then it was time for India to enjoy her first bites of cake (and sugar, really)! 

 Everyone gathered around to watch her delve into her cake....

But after one bite, she just thought it was more fun to throw pieces of fondant on the ground.  All the while, I'm going, "Child, it probably took me one hour just to roll that little piece of fondant out just right!"  Then she decided she didn't want the cake anywhere near her.  Next year, I'm not spending hours making her the perfect birthday cake.  She can just have a Twinkie.

Well, at least Dallas and I got to eat the cake in the days following the party.  Seriously, what kid doesn't like cake?  Probably the same kid who doesn't really like to eat more than a few bites of solid food.  My kid.

It was then time to open gifts!

She was very happy to get more Signing Time DVDs!



A cool money tree!  We're putting the money towards a wood play kitchen for her so she can cook with Mama!





Ultimately though, she was more interested in treating her cousin Xiomara as her doll.
 

Aren't they cute?  Her cousin Brooklynn was there as well, but I didn't get a good picture of the three of them! :(

It was a great few days to celebrate our baby.  The Sunshine Party was a perfect fit for our family and mostly, for India.  A lot of work, but worth it.  BUT, this will be the last party I throw for her of this magnitude.  


I think. ;)