Birthday Bashes!

I don't know if anyone has ever had as much fun celebrating a 1 year olds birthday as we did this weekend. The partying never seemed to stop! We are so lucky to have so many people close by that love Jane (and her parents)!

Danny's family has the tradition of a "'birthday plate" that whoever is celebrating their birthday gets to eat off of. Danny wanted to carry on that tradition, but to take it a step further. He wants to make a special birthday plate for each of our children (however many there will be!). So, off we went to make Jane her birthday plate. Danny was so cute about it. He did most of the painting and was very meticulous. He is the best dad to our little girl!

The final product!

Our two separate families had different schedules this year so we were able to plan two parties...#1 the Gillman/Ferguson/Beck party, and #2 A combo birthday bash with the Jacksons to celebrate Jane and Grandma Jackson's birthdays.
Party #1...cake #1

Jane and Danny were getting pumped for the visitors!

Jane wasn't sure what was going on at this point!

Then she figured it out!

Once I took the cake away, she still kept trying to grab all of the leftovers...I knew she was smart!

Presents #1...
She got a big fluffy dress from my mom and some cute wooden puzzles; a HUGE fold out animal book from Aunty Sara and family; cute pj's from Great Grandma Mary; a tug boat from the Beck's. I even received a present...my dear friend Crystal made me a video of Jane from birth to one year old. I cried my eyes out!

The next day we met up with the Becks to get Fisher and Jane's free birthday ice cream at Coldstone. We may have eaten more than Jane did (tee hee)!

Party #2...Cake #2
I loved this picture of the two birthday girls!

Presents #2

The Jacksons gave her the cutest fuzzy book about animals and 26 mini books about all of the letters in the alphabet! Perfect! She loves books!

She is giving her new stuffed bear a kiss!

You know you have a one year old when...

She can sign "more"(see picture below), "eat," "milk," "all done," "elephant," "tub," and make many more animal sounds. She sits herself down in her chair to read a book!
She climbs up on the "BABY" swing and rocks back and forth laughing hysterically!
She copies things that she sees you do. It is time to be careful!

And finally, you know you have a one year old when your heart hurts when you see a picture like this!

My Jane

One year ago today my life took the most miraculous change. My little Jane was born at 6:30 p.m. weighing 6 lbs. 13 oz. after a long and hard delivery. At the time, I knew I would never be the same, but I didn't realize the extent of it. She has blessed my life more than I could possibly describe and has changed the way that I look at everything (all you other mothers know what I am talking about). I can remember being terrified of the idea of being a mother and wondering if it was "meant" for me. But the moment that little baby girl was placed in my arms, I knew that there was nothing I would rather do and no greater calling in life then that of being a mother. This past year has proven that to be true. I find pure and utter joy watching her as her personality develops, as she reaches each milestone, and as she discovers new things. She came to me as a tiny little being, and is growing into a beautiful little child. It truly is a miracle. I wish there was a way to soak in every moment even more.
On Mother's Day, my mother gave me a silver ornament with a women holding a baby angel . On it says, "A child is God's most precious gift." I look at it every day and quietly thank my Heavenly Father for my precious gift, Janey Gwen!

Happy Birthday Jane!

Photo Shoot!

I went and got Janey's pictures taken yesterday at Kiddi Kandids. I left EXHAUSTED! It was all we could do to get her to smile. She just kept looking at us like "you really are not that funny!" She didn't like the photographer one bit! Every time she would touch Jane, she would start to cry. The photographer finally had to pick up Jane's little buddy Jackson and swing him in her face to get a grin out of her. Overall, I think the pictures turned out pretty cute (considering all of the work that we had to go through). It also helps that you get a free 8X10 around their birthdays. Everything is always better when it is FREE! :)

p.s. These are the pictures before they were edited and cropped. I gave most of them a sepia overlay that made them look a little antiqued. This is also as big as the Kiddi Kandids site would let me make them. Sorry!

Good times!

We had a fun evening with the Becks the other week at Thanksgiving Point's Farm Country. Jane went nuts over the animals. She made the "horsey noise" by flapping her lips over and over AND OVER AGAIN! She also mooed all evening at the cows. So cute.

Jane's first BYU game

She surprised me and was an angel the entire time (even though she had a short nap and the game went late). Thanks Janey for the fun time. The people who sat behind us played with her the entire game so she was very entertained as well!

Jane found the rag drawer and thought she was pretty cool when she discovered she could fit right inside! She spent at least 10 minutes crawling in and out of the drawer and throwing all of the rags out! I wish I was as easily entertained!



Last Saturday we went on a delivery with Danny past Park City and stopped and had a mini picnic by this beautiful river. Afterwards we went shopping at the outlet malls. It was pretty much a perfect day. Jane was an angel, and Danny even behaved himself. GOOD TIMES!

This is at the outlet malls. Jane didn't know how she felt about Kermit!



That's all for now!