Walter's First Birthday Party

I cannot believe that little Walter is one.  It really seems like just yesterday that the kids and I were down in Austin waiting for Meg to go into labor (which she did, very nicely :).  It has somehow been a year, and the kids and I were so excited to celebrate Walter's first birthday. I left the kids in Seguin (big sacrifice, right? :) and went up to Austin the night before the party to help Meg get ready.  It was so fun getting to sneak in a little extra time with the sweet birthday boy before the party.

Here are Meg and Walter pre-party.

Walter was so cute getting ready for his guests.  He loved everything we put outside and despite not feeling his very best, played hard the entire time.

Recognize this cake?  It is pretty similar to Charlie's second birthday construction cake.  I don't have a ton of cakes in my repertoire, but I enjoy doing the ones I can! :)

Bobo loved his new Cozy Coupe, and I had so much fun watching him explore it.

Meg had planned the party so thoughtfully, and had so many cute games for the older kids to play.  I don't think 2 through 8-year-olds have ever had so much fun at a 1-year-old's birthday party.  The relay race (below) was hilarious.  The kids had to race in various ways, including crawling like Walter...

...and pushing the little kids back and forth in cars.  This was definitely Walter's favorite part of the party.  He loved being pushed wildly and had a huge smile the entire time.  Reminds me of his older cousin, Charlie. :)

We also played pin the tail on the donkey.  It was hilarious watching the kids--some totally blind and some totally cheating (I'm looking at you, Julia and Jane Ann :).

Jane Ann was really "upset" when she got pinned. :)

The bobbing for apples was hilarious.  My kids wouldn't try this, but Samuel, Jackson, Jane Ann, and Julia rocked it.

The kids also loved the piñata.  Evie wasn't too interested until it broke.  Once she realized it was filled with candy, bouncy balls, and plastic rings, you couldn't keep her away!

Charlie loved the hitting part!

Finally, the part of the party Evie had been waiting for.  Cake!

Bobo loved his first taste of cake.

The kids also got to color pictures of Bobo, and were so earnest about it.  The final products were pretty cute.

I forgot to mention that the party was HUGE.  In our family, a "small" family party can mean (as in this case) 50+ attendees.  We were so lucky to have Uncle Matt, Aunt Isa, and several of their kids in town from Iowa.  It was so fun catching up with them, and the rest of the family there.  Here is a small portion of the Kirkendall clan:

Happy Birthday Bobo!  If the number of times Charlie and Evie have sung "Happy Birthday to Bobo" since the party is any indication, we love you so, so, so much!