Hooper's First Birthday

It's finally here! Just 7 weeks after the fact, but still it's here...Hooper's 1st Birthday Blog! Miracles do still happen!!! I want to say thanks to everyone who took pictures and video'd! It was hard to host and take pictures, but with friends and family, we made it! Ok, on to the pictures....

This is invitation to his party: We're going to start out with the behind the scenes adventures...the night before. Dee's family (Mamaw, Papaw, Craig, Donna and David) all flew in for the party and we are do greatful!!

Here's Hooper with his favorite Aunt Donna. She brought him this bib that says "I love my aunt"...and it has a little ant on it. Too cute!I'm really not sure what Mamaw and Papaw are looking at here but I love this photo of them.Maybe they're watching Uncle David wrestle Hooper. I'm not sure here but I'm keeping this photo as evidence...just in case.

Dee's such a good Daddy! Here he is putting Hooper's "present" together..hidden in the bedroom so Hooper won't see it.

I do hope he's reading the directions. I can't imagine why a hammer is necessary. Hmmm
On to the cake preparation. I could have NEVER made it without the help of Dee, David and Craig. Notice I mentioned all men...hmmm I just now realized that. Very interesting! But truthfully, they helped me so much!! Even with their help it still took 14 hours! Ugh! You'll see the finished product later in the blog. Sorry I'm trying to keep the time line going in order.

David took charge of making the basketball cake.
He amazed me!
It looked GREAT! He was not pleased with his first or second try...but finally on the 3rd re-do he was pleased. I'm so proud he took such pride in his work and Hooper's cake! That's a good uncle!!!

Dee's first job was tackling the football cake.

Can you say "proud!" Ace watch out!!!
Once the football was complete he moved on to "clothing." Oh that came after the golf cake which was David's original idea and Dee's completion. These men!!! I'm so blessed!
Then along came Craig! He did all the detail work on the face of the cake.

He also tried to make golf balls, but that just wasn't happening. We all tried but we learned you just can't make fondant have perfect indentions all around it like a golf ball. They kept popping back out. But he gave it his best!
Onto the Party!!! I passed my parents heading to the party and this is how I found them. Mom in the back seat with a HUGE turtle sand box wedged in between her and the other door. They went to 3 or 4 Wal-Marts between here and Paris (and all around N. Dallas) before finding the sand box that day. I think they really love their grandson!!!This is pure love!Hooper and his "Nana." Notice Hooper's new hair do. His Mamaw cut it just before the party. 1 Year old and he just got his 3rd haircut!Proud Oga! Donna will kill me for putting this on here but I think it's just too sweet to leave off.
Dee grilled hot dogs before the party and they were YUMMY!!Ok Craig, just one or two...now twenty! Growing boy!!! Here's my birthday boy!!!
Wow, look at all those presents!
Too busy eating to smile, apparently!

After all the hard work....the cake!

We went with a "ball" theme for his party since that's the only thing he really loves at this point other than music.

Ok, so it looks nothing like Hooper, but it's still cute.Team work sure does pay off!The back side of the cake. Time to cut the cake! Hooper's special cake was the football, but he wasn't sure about it.
He took a couple bites.

But he REALLY fell in love with the ice cream!
Who needs cake when you have ice cream. He is his daddy's boy all over!
Have I mentioned how windy it was this day? But praise God, being the 5th of July it could have been miserably HOT. So we'll take wind anyday. It just made decorations, hair, napkins, table cloths, etc very difficult to manage.
Present Time!! Look at the ton of goodies!!!
As mentioned above, my parents (Oga and Nana) gave Hooper a sand box (among other things) and we thought it would be easier to have him sit in it and open his presents than anywhere else. It just makes sense, right? Hooper's Uncle Randy and Uncle Chris gave him a Tonka truck....and immediately he had to crawl inside it too. It's like he thought that's what it was there for.
Mamaw and Papaw gave Hooper this cool bean bag (as seen in other blogs) among other things as well. I think it may go with some of Hoop's things, what do you think? A little orange never hurt anyone, ha!
And the big finale, his car!

His cousin Maggie liked it too. Apparently it's a chick magnet!

She wanted a ride in the car so badly!!! So he decided to share. I wish you could see his face in the photo because it's not a happy one. He's not happy at all about being forced to share...with a girl nonetheless!
So he lost Maggie!
He LOVES his car!!!
What is it with balloons that kids are infactuated with?

My Dad (Oga) and my brothers, Randy in the middle and Chris on the end. They're so handsome!

My whole family! (minus Dee)
Awe, there's Dee! My precious little family. I'm so, so, so blessed!

(Did I mention the wind?)
Oh what fun balloons!
I think his Oga had fun too!
After a long night and afternoon my honey needed a nap!
All those presents and Hooper is mezmorized with the box! Kids!!!So Papaw showed him how much fun it was to play in the box! Notice Craig still asleep on the couch in the background. Teenagers! Oh wait, he's 20 now! Young adults!
I'm not sure who had more fun, Hooper or Papaw! After a long day of partying Hooper was tuckered out.
And his Nana was just what he needed! Hot and tired, turning one is hard work! I still can't believe my baby is one year old already! Everyone warned me when he was born that it would fly by but I had NO idea how fast it would be. I tried to slow it down but it just did not work. This has been the funnest year of my life. To say I am blessed is an understatement! God is so good!!!