Karys is 1 year old!

What a special day it was! We had her 1st birthday party at the house yesterday with a huge turnout of family and friends to help us celebrate. It was a perfect day and the weather was just spectacular.

She wore her special birthday dress and was just adorable! She, of course, wasn't too involved in the opening of the presents but she did really enjoy the Elmo's (the pizza one in particular) and would kiss him over and over while Tim and I "helped" open the rest of her presents. She got a lot of money for her college fund, some cute summer clothes, Elmo DVD's, learning toys and much more! She is one blessed little girl to be so loved and spoiled!

Karys really enjoyed the cake and it was everywhere - all over her face and in her nose! She just dug right in without any help. She knew what to do ;) We got a lot of great pictures with the cake. Talk about a sugar rush! She was anxious to get back down and play with everyone afterwards!

The party went really well and we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day or better people to share it with.

We still cannot believe she is already 1 year old. The time has gone by so quickly this past year and it almost seems unfair for doing so. We witnessed so many of her milestones the first year: smiling, crawling, first words, walking...she is just such a joy and we can't wait for all the fun her second year of life will bring as well. She has truly been a gift from God and we are still so thankful for her every day.

At the end of the day, when all the guests had left, Karys "wrote" a letter to Jesus thanking him for how blessed her life is and for everyone who loves her so much. We put the letter in a bottle and tied some balloons around it before letting it go and sending it to Heaven.

Tim and I want to thank everyone for sharing in her day and making her 1st birthday one to remember. She has the best family and friends any little girl could ever hope for. She is truly loved and blessed.