Elijah's First Birthday

This was our last First Birthday. I can't believe it. I'm so sad, but so happy to have had 4 First birthdays to celebrate. 

Jaden LOVES to cook, so he helped make Elijah's birthday cake. We used Nana Fagan's icing recipe. 

We didn't do a bad job!

He had his party at the gym. 

Everybody always has so much fun there!

Although I don't know that Elijah would have chosen these two girls to push him around! :)

He's ready to dig in!

Testing the waters

And.... He loves it!

Taco got him a bite too! He resisted for a while, but finally got him a mouthful. 

Jaden and Anders both dug in with their hands. (That's why there's more missing from the top.)

He wasn't going to share.

Aunt Weezie made his sweet sign. 

He's saying "I love it!"

Water! I need water!

Mustache Man

Momma took the cake away.

OK all is good now

The shower wouldn't get hot, so he had a little sink bath.

I didn't get a picture of all the kids together, but we got the grandparents with the birthday boy!

 This is us.

Caleb Tarvin took Elijah's one year pictures at Memaw and DDaddy's house. 

These are great!

 I can't believe my baby is a year old. 

Such a poser!

I want him to stay this age forever.

Probably my favorite.

"I love you"

He did NOT like the grass.

 Sweet Baby A gave him a leaf to make him feel better. 

Sweet smiles

CHEESE

Personalities

Taking pictures of one child, without getting the others turning flips in the background is a challenge.

But what can you do...

I love this sweet face!

So proud!

And of course they ended up in the pool. 

Sticker pictures

We have so loved this past year with our Lidge. 

He brings out the best in all of us. 

Happy Birthday Fella! 

We love you to crumbs!

Total Solar Eclipse

After driving home ALL day from the beach, we unpacked, repacked, and headed to Decatur to spend the night. It was the closet hotel to Nashville that we could find/afford.

We arrived around 9:30 and went straight to bed.

We LOVE staying in hotels! 

Elijah boy was so worn out. I unbuckled him from his seat, carried him in the hotel, rode in the elevator, everybody got ready for bed, I laid him in his crib and he stayed asleep the whole time. 

He is one sweet baby!

I forgot the spray bottle to fix my hair. 

Thankfully Anders had his fireman stash and he let me use his spray bottle!

Elijah's cheese face!

We left Decatur around 8 and headed to Granny White park, in Brentwood, TN. 

I texted Sara on our way, to see what they were doing to watch the eclipse. I'm so glad we could watch this event with friends we haven't seen in a while and catch up! We also met their small group and they are some of the nicest people. 

I think we'll move up here! ;)

The kids were so glad to be out of the car and able to run around!

The boys were trying out their eclipse binoculars!

Posed picture, "looking" at the eclipse. 

(We didn't even tell Cora about it because she'd probably look without glasses on.)

"Where's your tongue?"

(New trick)

Crescent shadows through the trees. 

Before the total. 

Now they're on the opposite side!

These kids were over the eclipse. It was hot and humid and they were beyond tired.

Once it started getting dark and our surroundings were changing, they perked back up.

It was like a tailgate party! There was hundreds of people there and everybody was having a great time!

I really don't know that I can describe what happened. It was rapture like. Surreal. It got dark. In the middle of the day. Crickets were chirping, birds were singing, street lights came on. The temperature dropped a good 15 degrees. By every account, it was 10:00 p.m. 

There was a guy that had a soundtrack going. Total Eclipse of the Heart played and then Here Comes the Sun played as the moon moved on. Very thought out!

It only lasted about 45 seconds where we were. It was amazing. I would drive 4 hours for those 45 seconds again, any day. It was a once in a lifetime event. If a total eclipse happens again in my lifetime, I will be there to see it. 

At home, in Northport, the coverage was supposed to be like 98%. We were going to just stay home, but after doing some research, that less than 2% makes a world of difference. The sun is so bright, that even 2% of it can still light the earth. 

The kids were so in awe. They were speechless and amazed and what just happened. (And ready to go home when it was sunny again!)

This was the "diamond ring". (with my iPhone)

There is a planet under the sun that we normally don't see because the sun is so bright. 

It is 1:30 p.m. and there is no filter on the camera. 

This is the Total Eclipse from someone that was with us, and their professional camera.

We stopped by Jim N Nick's in Cullman for supper.

Living on the edge. We have 102 miles until home and 107 miles until empty. 

We didn't hit any traffic on the way home, but it took us about 5 hours. 

After baths, homework, snacks, tuck-ins, and more tuck-ins, our beds never felt so good!

So cool.

(This was a picture from Facebook.)