Brees Elizabeth's First Birthday Party

Though Brees Elizabeth will not be a year old until November 15, we celebrated her
birthday on Saturday with our closest friends and family.  It was a small, simple gathering
at our home on a chilly autumn day.  Isabelle helped me decorate our dining room
with balloons and fairies and pretty streamers.  The staircase was lined with a
special birthday banner and Brees's face lit up as we carried her down from her nap.
We served tea cakes and brownies, punch and little sandwiches.  The children were all
so well behaved and the overall vibe was true to who Brees is herself: sweet, mellow,
and full of love.

After most of our guests had arrived and Brees had received almost a thousand kisses,
she curiously made her way over to her pile of brightly colored gifts.  We sat on the floor
with her and let her tear through each of them, one by one, her eyes so big and wide as
she sifted through all her new toys.  Her cousins read through the cards for her,
pouring through the words of love and adoration for this sweet little girl.  I couldn't help
but smile as I watched the comraderie that exists between this little tribe of cousins,
the lifelong friendships founded in our Cajun bloodline.  My girls are so blessed to have
such love.

 

After oohing and ahhing over all her fantastically noisy new toys, we put Brees in
her highchair and brought out her birthday cake.  It was adorned with a pink candle,
ONE, which Daddy lit as all our friends and family serenaded our girl.  Tears filled my eyes
as I watched her look around, gazing at the familiar faces around the room, waving her
arms and dancing as we sang "Happy birthday to you"...

The birthday girl was awarded the first piece of cake and, true to form, she
carefully inspected it: smelling, touching, tasting.  She took her time, savoring every
bite, smashing the icing between her little fingers.  She even gave her big sister a piece:
right in her hair:)

The older kids and daddies headed outside for a basketball tournament while the
ladies gathered around the kitchen table for coffee, tea, and Southern lady
conversation.  Brees got an old fashioned kitchen sink bath in the afternoon sunlight,
another family tradition.

We put Brees down for her nap, her tummy full and her heart content.  Most of our
guests stayed late into the night as we watched the big LSU vs. Alabama game.  I cooked
chili for dinner and the cousins tried out all of Brees's new toys.  We spread out all over
the living room and cheered on our Tigers to victory.  It was a beautiful first
birthday centered around the things that matter most to us:
family, simplicity, and love.