Elizabeth is 1 and Greyson is 4!!

Happy Birthday Month!!! When the calendar rolls around to July in our house that means it's time for BIRTHDAYS! Much to Greyson's dismay (we're still working on understanding this whole calendar business), Elizabeth is the first one up for celebration.

Note:  Hang in there folks, this post is set up in 3 parts. Instead of separating the events I just put it all together...as in life this birthday business is one LONG, FUN month!

Part One: Elizabeth is 1!!! 

Little Miss Elizabeth turned 1 on July 15th!  I CANNOT believe that this year has gone by so quickly. I could cry, but she is just too darn cute to get misty-eyed about something so silly! (But, if you could slow down just a touch that would be spectacular!)

How cute is that little cupcake?!  I know a lady if you need one of these:) 

I will have to come back in and update with the official stats after we go to the doctor for our 1st and 4th year checkups, but unofficially, Elizabeth is a hefty 17 lbs (ha!), and a gigantic 26.5 inches tall! Below you can see the brother/sister 1 year comparison marks from inside the closet door where we mark their progress. She's going to be a little bitty.  She is definitely taking after her GG in the height department. 

She started the day with balloons and streamers!  Her big brother couldn't wait to run in and tell her Happy Birthday, and then again he was really excited to play with those balloons...

She loved it!

Birthdays are exhausting!

To celebrate the big day, GG and Pops came by to bring her some presents, and we sang Happy Birthday and this girl feasted on some cake! She loved it!!  (I think we're related...)

Part Two: Party Edition! 

We celebrated the kids together this year with an ice cream bash! I put together the invitations, and I went with a sprinkles/confetti theme. (Super excited to incorporate a little pink this year!)

I tend to go a little overboard with the crafting (although I feel like I was pretty tame this year), but it was all worth it when Grey woke up Saturday morning. If you've seen the Lego Movie, you know the "Awesome" song.  Well, as soon as he woke up and started looking around at everything that was set up, and the slide going up in the backyard, he started singing the song over and over again! "Everything is awesome" was on a loop for a good 15 minutes. It was the cutest thing I've ever heard!  He could hardly contain his excitement! I love it!  This is why I get so happy about birthdays! 

Ice Cream everything! Ha! 

Hurray for Pinterest! 

Ice cream table pre-ice cream. I'm terrible at getting all the photos! 

Gramps beating the heat before the party starts!

GG made these super cute birthday boards for E and G!  I love them! I crafted all of the banners using Morgen's silhouette machine.  Thanks M! 

This high chair was actually my Nanny's chair. I am so happy that Elizabeth Jane gets to use the same chair as Barbara Jane! I found a wonderful cabinet guy who refurbished the chair for me (Thank you Lisa for recommending Dwight!), and it is as good as new! 

 I hung all of Elizabeth's "month" photos above her chair *Tears* along with the "menu."

Once again, GG made these AMAZING yard signs for the kids.  I love them! 

We are so lucky to have such great friends to come celebrate with us! Thank you to everyone who came!  We had so much fun!  Greyson went down the bouncy slide so many times that he was literally raw. His shoulder still has a little burn spot on it.  I guess he must have been working hard on that slide. 

Ice Cream is delicious!!!  

Cake time!  Divide and conquer! 

Once again, no holding back! 

Present time!  Grey was so excited! 

The Ladies!!  (with some creative editing out of boy children)

 Nana deserves a little rest after I put her to work the last few days! Ha!  Thanks Mom!

She enjoys a little attention...

and so does he! Ha!

Daddy Jared was a great lifeguard all day! 

Porter displaying his signature move! Work it P!

After an entire day of playing on the slide (literally ALL DAY LONG from 10 am-6 pm--he didn't even eat lunch) the wonderful people from the slide place came to take down the slide and we had one VERY tired and VERY sad little boy.

 But, the party didn't stop!  Yay for impromptu after-party parties!  You know I'm up for a get together with this crew! I only wish we had actually "planned" it so that everyone could have stayed!

Porter was doing a little feeding/flirting with Elizabeth afterward.  So stinking cute!!  

We had such a great day!  I love birthday parties, and I think this one was a success! 

Part Three: Greyson is 4!!!

After waiting all month ("Mommy is it my birthday yet?"), on Wed. July 30th, Greyson turned 4!  I cannot believe I have a 4 year old. I may have teared up a little (I'm seriously going to lose it when he starts pre-k...). 

Greyson is unofficially 42 inches tall, and 37 lbs (probably more now after all the pizza and cake:). We are mastering the potty training these days.  THANK THE LORD! Still have some trouble at night, but we are figuring things out for the most part. This kid loves to play outside, swim, and play "sword ball" inside (baseball with swords--duh! haha).

In addition to the things listed on his birthday board, Grey is pretty crafty with his language.  As a 4 year old, he has a few quotes that are my favorites. 

 1. "Mom, I need to talk to you..." which usually means he wants to do something that he knows I will turn down, but he is perfecting the art of negotiation manipulation which is sometimes successful because, look at that face! 

2. "I'm getting frustrated!" What?! Ha! 

3. "Elizabef'es"--As in, those are Elizabeth's toys. He speaks so clearly for the most part, but it is stinking adorable when he says her name. 

4. "What are we going to do when we wake up?" followed by "And what are we going to do next?"and then repeatedly followed by "And then what?"--EVERY NIGHT at bedtime! Cute, but can seriously grate on the nerves after the 5th time...

5. Mom: "Grey what would you like for lunch?" Grey: "I would like...(pausing while tapping finger on chin in thinking pose) peanut butter and jelly? (question mark because he says it in this high pitch questioning tone so that I will think it's cute and say yes!  Master negotiator manipulator!)" (ALWAYS pb&j! If I let him, that is ALL HE WOULD EAT!)

On the big day we began with some balloons, streamers, a dragon, and, of course, donuts! 

He's such a ham!!  I love it! Ha! 

After breakfast, we headed over to WinKids for a swim lesson and a sports class. You would think this would tire the kid out, but he was too excited to sleep during his nap because we were headed to every little kid's dream and parents nightmare--Chuck E Cheese! 

We had to open a couple of presents before we could head to see Mr. Cheese with GG and Pops though. His Uncle Blake got him this sweet Spiderman get up, and he could not be more excited. 

Greyson got his little sister a present (cue the awws!).

We ended the night with some cookie cake and Happy Birthday singing. I love, love, love his face in this photo.  He is so happy here! *my heart is full*

I would say that these two kiddos had a pretty spectacular birthday month!  Next up, 3 days until we celebrate Daddy Jared!  The party never ends around here!