Birthday Fun with Friends and Family

For such a tiny munchkin, Gillian Grace is surrounded by a whole lot of love. We are blessed to have had the opportunity to share GG's special day with so many of our friends and family.

After a gloomy morning, we were so thankful when Mother Nature cooperated creating the perfect party backdrop of beautifully clear blue skies and slight breeze just in time for the first guests' arrival. With such pleasant weather, it wasn't long before the party moved outside!

{The Birthday Girl}








{Outdoor Fun}


To keep all the little guests entertained, I purchased a bunch of outdoor toys and kept them organized in a giant pink plastic tub. The tub also made toting everything around a piece of cake! Now that the party is over, GG has tons of new toys to keep the birthday fun going all year long!




{GG's Friends}














{GG's Family}

My parents (Gillian Grace's Grandad and Gammie) and Me

Bret, Gammie, and Grandad





Gillian Grace and her cousins from South Florida, Abigail and Madison

Bret and his mom (Nana)

It's her party, and she can cry if she wants to!
GG wasn't a happy camper when it was time to head inside.


{Just for the Guests}

To go with our party theme {You are my Sunshine}, I purchased beach balls for all of our little guests. All the children also were also encouraged to fill a bag full of their favorite candies from the dessert table to enjoy at home. Our bigger guests took home a drink cover or two.


During the party, I asked guests to sign a matte surrounding a birthday picture of Gillian Grace. Since she is too young to remember much from her first birthday party, I wanted GG to have something special to commemorate the day {besides a million pictures}. Though all the birthday wishes were thoughtful and sweet, the "love you" from six year old Maggie has to be among my favorites! Guess it's the teacher in me, but first grader handwriting is the best!




Gillian Grace's personalized birthday portrait sits on a shelf in her nursery.

With all the party planning, summer has flown by. It's hard to believe this week brings an end to July. But with a few days left, rest assured I'll end the month in grand GGpalooza style! And I've even got a few great birthday related giveaways to announce sometime later in the week, so stay tuned!