And Then there was Cake

I thought the cake portion of the birthday party deserves its own section. I made a "1" cake and some cupcakes (Cupcakes were made from scratch and the cake from a box). I spent hours making the homemade frosting the perfect colors and decorating the cake (That might be a little exagerated.) But it only took a couple of minutes for it to be smashed into her face!

A picture of my centerpiece. There was a block theme so I made blocks, the had "1St PAIGE" on them and pictures on the sides.
Here is my masterpiece.

Having her 1st piece of cake.

I think someone tried to put her hat on her again. She was very tired.

Paige's Birthday

OK- So here is the update finally. Our little Angel turned 1 this last Sunday. It is hard to believe that a year ago I was in the hospital giving birth to her. And now she is trying to walk and loves to say "HI". We had about 25 people at my parents house for some snacks, presents & cake. Justin drove the old car over so his Grandma could see it run. It was also exciting to have his dad there. We don't see him too often and it was the first time he met Paige. Paige had a great time being the center of attention. Overall, everything went well. A good time was had by all. Here are a few pictures from the day.

Paige playing with one of her favorite toys- Chicken Elmo. He walks around. She follows him and then picks him up and hugs him.
Opening more presents. Who can resist putting the bow in her hair!

She loves cars almost as much as her daddy so this was one of her favorites.

Playing with her cousin Alyssa.

The Huffman clan

What Nana did to Paige

I know everyone wants an update with pictures from Paige's Birthday Party & her 1 year old pics, but I am exausted. I will try to get to that soon. For now, just enjoy this little bit of fun. Last week, I got a letter in the mail. I opened it up and the below picture was in there. On the back it says "Look what nana made me do". I don't think this needs any more explanation.

1st Dentist Appt

On Tuesday Paige had her first dentist appointment. She did great. We went in and she had to lay in my lap while the dentist looked at her 4 teeth. She says they look great and "Paige" is doing a great time brushing (Yeah daddy). She got a free toothbrush and also a finger brush as well. And she got to pick a toy from the toy box. Then she was able to put her name in the drawing they have for a free teddy bear every month. Only kids that do a good job brushing get that privilege. She barely complained at all. We will go back every six months just to make sure she is still on track.

Big Girl Tub.

We moved Paige into the Big Girl Tub last week. We had been giving her baths inside the safety tub inside the big tub, but since she was starting to stand we decided it was time to move on up. She loves it. Daddy fills the bath with bubbles and she plays and plays. Hope you enjoy the pics. I will try to update again next week after her 1st birthday party on Sunday. But it is going to be a busy week and weekend so we will see when I get around to it. I still can't believe she is going to be a year old in a week.

Justin's Brothers Wedding

This Saturday we were able to support Dan, Justin's brother has he celebrated his marriage to Michelle. They got married the weekend before in Pismo Beach. Justin was able to attend the ceremony. He recently realized how small his family really is. It was a beautiful day he says, but he wished his Mom was still alive. We had a great time playing with Dan's kids (Our niece Alyssa & nephew Lucus). Here are some pictures of the reception. It was at a Bocci place in Santa Cruz, but was very nice. Ironically, Dan married the sister of Justin's good friend Matt from High School. It is nice to him to have "extended" his family in that way.

Alyssa loved Paige- She danced with her and kept picking her up.
Lucus spent the night playing video games or collecting these electric candles.

The cakes were beautiful

A picture of the happy couple.

Alyssa being silly again.

Politics & Voting

Last Tuesday I went down to my designated spot and turned in my vote. Unlike many people I know, I do not typically have strong opinions on politics. I have strong opinions on many things, but it has been hard for me to even vote in recent elections. Usually I am torn to choose between two options I don't like. And in some ways this election was more of the same. I had to make a decision between two men that I didn't hate, but didn't love either. And it wasn't until the final days that I made the decision. And I made that decision based on whose plans I thought were better for me and for my country. I knew that the man I was voting for would not win, but I also knew that either way- our county is in trouble and I hope that someone will be ready to get their hands dirty and change it. And I hope that the tremendously high taxes I already pay don't get much higher.

In California we were forced to make some even harder decisions. I know how most people around me feel about proposition 8. I know that by voting yes, I may have pissed off a lot of people. But it is their right to vote no, just as much as it is mine to vote yes. I know that the road will not end here. For those of you who don't know- Justin's mom was gay. And we discussed it and he knows first hand what it is like to live in a household that is not considered "Normal". He had a lot to do with my decision. I do not believe that anyone has the "Right" to marry. Marriage is a privilege that was given to us by God. It was a commitment in front of God between a Man and a Woman so that they would raise a family together as one. And I understand that some people may argue that a Gay couple would commit to each other and would love their families as much as anyone else. And I do agree with that statement. But and man & a man or a woman & a woman can never make a baby together. And I have a hard time believing that is what God intended. Just maybe when I get to heaven I will ask him just that.

That being said, I also don't believe that the marriage that the state/laws give us is the same as the commitment before God. So many people marry without committing in front of God. So, I am unsure of what the future holds. Amazingly, I may even have had a different stance on this if the arrogant mayor of San Francisco had not broken the law years ago when California first voted on this issue. The voters spoke, and he disagreed so he broke the law. And I don't have any respect for that. So I voted again, and I am sure he will continue to not care.

But the most important issue I voted on was Prop 4. And it did not pass. I do not believe my teenage daughter has rights before she is 18. She does not have the right to get a tattoo, or get a piercing, or vote. She should not be having sex, but I know that the majority (Unfortunately) of teenagers do. I hope to have the kind of relationship with my daughter that she could tell me if she was pregnant, but you never know. What I don't want is her going to planned parenthood where they do not even explain what they are doing and just get an abortion. I remember being 17 and thinking I was pregnant. I do not think I was capable of making that decision on my own, but I am so thankful that I did not have to go there. Teenagers make stupid decisions every day. But abortion is a decision that will affect their lives forever. And even if Prop 4 had passed, that only meant that the doctor had to send a letter via mail and wait 48 hours. There is no guarantee that I would even get the notice before she had the abortion. It did not mean that the parents have to give permission. And I would like you to show me the teenager that a parent can stop from doing something she/he really wants to do.

I hope that my views have not offended anyone. I usually keep my mouth shut because my views are mine. I don't expect everyone to agree with me. I just expect you to respect my opinions as I have always respected yours. I am proud to live in America. I may be a little nervous about what the future holds, but I am looking forward to seeing what God has in store for us and our country.

Our little daredevil

This wonderful, sweet, innocent little girl of mine had decided to explore even more. She has taken to climbing on anything she can. The play table is her favorite (Along with the little kitchen nana bought for her- we think the kitchen is going to go away for a little while). Here are some pictures of her in action.