these glorious moments...

song credit: small piece of you by sara groves from her album station wagon

birthday cakes. and a growing boy. // v1

so i had a stressful time with this birthday cake but that's besides the point.

amos turned one.

i know there is a whole mess of stuff i could write about my baby turning one. right now, i can't go into it. it's 11:57 and i'll just start weeping. i have that on my to-do list... summarize this year. i mean really think it through. (sometimes we have to stop to really feel the moment, don't we?)

until i let you in on that, here are some pictures to show the moment. there may be a couple more, but this is for now.

amos with his new piano from his grandpa jim and debbie

and just for memory sake - this is amos' "uhhhh, i want that now" face. oh dear Lord, we all need a Savior. ;)

an "almost" farewell to fall.

over a month ago we headed up to julian, a small mountain town about 40 minutes outside downtown san diego, to pick our pumpkin. i thought i should post the pictures before fall finds it's final death (which i'm sure it already has in some parts).

it's funny to me how even over a month ago amos looks entirely different than he does now. he's so much chubbier. now he really seems to be a little boy. talking. exerting his newly discovered will. and so much more.

the pumpkin patch/orchard that we visited offered a fall tour that included watching apples be pressed into fresh cider and tasting, candle making, and a hayride. amos loved the cidar and so do i - there is nothing like something real. like cider. you get a deep appreciation for things that are real, including juice/cider after reading articles like this. (ewwww)

our candle making wasn't very successful. ours were really ugly and weird and therefore didn't make the blog cut.

the hayride was breezy and nostalgic. reminded me of fall in the good ole' midwest. i always get the most homesick during this season, but by now, when the weather drops, i'm back to thanking the Lord for cardigan weather and daily walks with my son - even in december.

















in honor of amos watching and partaking of his first cider press - i wanted to include this beautifully simple video by pacing the panic room, one of the 4 blogs i've been keeping up with for a couple years now.

it's so beautiful, it makes you almost taste autumn on your tongue.



and so here is to the fall season. you've come and gone - and we hold you near to our hearts. your the greatest present from the Lord every time you come around.

these glorious moments...

beautiful emery

Amos taking nap in his nina's bed with her nala because he reallllly misses her


guilty face.

this was the reason... :(

amos and his nina during her visit home. 

Small hello

Small update:

Our thanksgiving was wonderful and I almost ate an entire half of my friend Lori's famous apple pie. Amos was hilarious and I was able to spend time with some of the greatest people on earth.
I added a few new things to my shop. If you were directed here check it out! I do custom design work and premade invitations for any event.

For inquiries email: Seetheskyline@gmail.com

To check out some of my past work visit: Http://www.etsy.com/shop/seetheskyline

Many great holiday updates to come and two giveaways!!!!

one year memory vault // disney land

so i'm taking all those millions of flipcam/iphone footage that i took over amos' first years.

here's a small video from amos' first trip to disney when he was so small, 3 1/2 months old!






oh and also! i'd love a fresh, daily vote from you. just click here!

one year memory vault // nighttime zoo

this was a couple months ago and i never finished it. i was inspired today as i was remembering evenings before my husband was in graduate school and we could do fun things like go on walks, go to the zoo, and have dinner together. i'm counting down the days until his christmas break (28) and we have a little reprieve until it starts all over again at the end of january. Lord, get us through!

dogs driving cars and traveling babies.

We don't let Amos watch TV, but every once in awhile (as I'm sneaking an episode of Parks and Rec in) he spies commercials. And these two are his absolute favorite:






they include three of his favorite words: dog, cat, and baby!

amos turns 1. happy, happy birthday! /// picture overload.

and so, saturday morning came and went with a blur. amos woke up when we did around 6:00 AM and stayed up the entire morning for his party. he was GLOWING with joy. cuddling with balloons, hugging his friends, laughing, giggling, i mean, total, baby ecstacy.

it couldn't have went better. there were just the right amount of kids and people. the food was delicious. and the joy of my little boy was celebrated. even with the rainy weather (it was originally planned for outside in the park) - it was a smashing success.

and really - no matter what would have happened, it would have been a success. i have a healthy, happy, growing son who is loved by my family (both blood and church).

this is the day that the Lord has made,
i will rejoice and be glad in it.

hallelujah.

for take home goodies i made different creatures (i'll dedicate a later post to these) that every kid could bring home. there was elephants, giraffes, monsters, owls, and even a squid. :)

the goody bags were cloth, and handmade by my mom. We had some treats for the kids to fill their bag with along with their creature of choice. 

ricky's mom made mini, silver dollar buttermilk pancakes with eggs, potatos and bacon. we had a pancake bar available to decorate your pancakes. it was DELICIOUS and the kids went crazy over it. 

enjoying his pancake stack and having his first encounter with whipped cream.

nom nom nom.

cousins love.

after breakfast and singing happy birthday, we had nightingale music come and do a birthday, music celebration with all the children. there were bubbles, colored scarves, guitar songs, dancing, maracas, and more. amos and all his friends loved it. it was such a joy to watch. amos' favorite things in the world, currently, are balls (baseball, bouncy balls, etc.) and music.

monkey kisses, bell magic, and neon scarves

scarf dancing.

going for a boat ride in the big drum with his bff abigail.

 

drum circle and bubbles...

  

 

 some more bubble action.

 

a little maraca time.

baby diana with her yummy maraca.

look how gorgeous and graceful little anais is?!

little adeline with her adorable headband.

beautiful nini and tia jen.

isaac was our child elder answering all the questions during the music time. 

javi. the coolest party attendee.

 

always beautiful cousin emery - 2 months old. above with her grandma christine.

grandma and linecia.

 

beautiful diana and her mom erika and dad tyler.

 and then it was present time. amos received so many wonderful gifts. i mean really. every gift was a super cool gift. books, wooden toys, balls (he loves them!), a tunnel (from grandma dawn) and then of course his little tikes car from grandma and grandpa rich that he leapt off the couch to get into. see below.

beep beep.

 

after his party at home, helping dad put together his new presents.

thank You Lord for this reward. i love the gifts You've given me.