It was a Hoot!

We celebrated Charlotte and Jensen's first birthday on Saturday, April 23rd, with an owl-themed party at our home. (And before you ask, "Why owls? What is the significance of owls?" I will go ahead and tell you: There is no significance to owls. I just think they're cute, that's all. And I figure I only have a few chances to have parties with cute themes before C & J start requesting parties at Chuck E. Cheese. Chuck E. Cheese = not cute.)

I put my mom and Tammy to work on these little guys about a week before the party.

Our original intent was to have a small, family-only party; however, when Brian wasn't looking, I invited a few more people. Okay, several more people. Because the more I thought about it, the more I realized that, although Charlotte and Jensen were definitely the stars of the show and the main attractions, the party was also about Brian and me just a tiny bit. We all made it through that first year...we all deserved to celebrate and have some fun!

I ordered the invitations, cupcake toppers, banners, and most of the other decorations from etsy. We also had a professional come and take pictures...I knew that I would be way too preoccupied to do it myself, and it was really well worth the money to know I was going to get great pics without having to worry about taking any.

We enjoyed lovely (if a bit windy) weather, so the party was indoors as well as outdoors. The kiddos enjoyed the water table, and the adults enjoyed nice cold beer and sangria. There was plenty to eat, and the cupcakes and cookies were delicious!

The spread. In case you're wondering, that is an owl-shaped cheese ball.

Ready to PARTY!

Party favors...they were quite tasty!

Mmmmmm...cupcakes!

Jensen's shorts were a bit small...oh well, what can you do?

Birthday Bug!

Happy girl.

Grandma and her girl.

Jensen enjoyed the water table so much that he only got to wear his cute birthday shirt for a few minutes before it got soaking wet!

Charlie and her Tita

The dining room table held two bowls full of cookie party favors, and it was covered in the pictures I took of Charlotte and Jensen every month in their "monthly" onesies. It was fun to look at the pics side-by-side and see how much C & J have grown and changed in a year!

Charlie LOVES her Papaw!

Cake time! We sang happy birthday twice...first to Charlie, then to Jensen.

Charlie trying out the cake...yes, I made them "healthy" cakes. But they were really good!

Twenty tiny toes!

They weren't loving the hats.

Jensen's cake had blueberry frosting; Charlotte's was made with raspberries.

Charlotte was cracking me up...she's so dainty, she barely made a mess at all.

Charlie thought the cake was okay, but after a while she was ready to get down from her high chair.

Jensen, on the other hand, was a cake-eating machine! We eventually had to make him stop eating it because we were afraid he would get a tummy ache! He had cake and frosting everywhere.

The photographer brought along a little chalkboard and had the guests write birthday messages to Charlotte and Jensen. They turned out really cute...here are a few:

Grandma and Grandpa

Aunt Kari and Aunt Holly

Kate, Sarah and Mema Shelton

Kim and Noah

Family pic (post cake--check out all the frosting in Jensen's hair!)

I wanted to do something during the party to honor my mom and recognize what a huge help she has been to me over the past year. I decided to get her an Old World Christmas owl ornament so that she would remember Charlotte and Jensen's first birthday every Christmas when she hangs it on her tree.

Opening her ornament.

We opted to not open gifts at the party...the babies were winding down, and it would have just been too much (for them and their guests!). After watching them open their gifts the next morning, I was very glad we didn't try to do it at the party...they are just at that age where the boxes are way cooler than what's inside. Plus, Charlotte found a few balls inside the first package, so she was totally set...no additional gifts needed!

The morning after the party...Charlotte was pleased as punch with her new balls!

All in all, the party was a success...I did get just a bit stressed out with wanting the food to be delicious, the house to be clean, our guests to have fun, Charlotte and Jensen to be in good moods, etc. etc. etc. I think next year we will be hosting their party at a location that is not our house! But I'm glad we had a big first birthday for Charlotte and Jensen, and I'm glad they seemed to enjoy themselves. It's so funny that their first birthday party is yet another one of those events that Charlotte and Jensen will never remember, but Brian and I will never forget. Hopefully, they'll be able to look at these pictures someday and see the love that surrounded them on their first birthday.