A First Birthday and Father's Day

Summer has officially begun, and our busy weekends continue! Yesterday, we had the honor of attending my "future daughter-in-law's" first birthday party (I don't know how much longer Angie's going to let me keep saying that, but I'm telling you, it's written in the stars!). We had been kind of concerned during the week about the weather forecast, but lucky for us the storms ended in the early hours of the morning, and so party time was sunny and warm, but with enough of a wind to keep it bearable. Miss Rachel was an absolute doll, as usual--check out what a cutie she is! Unfortunately, Aiden was in weekend mode (read: no nap), so Mike & I had a little crabbiness to deal with, but not too bad. He did, however, make me quite happy with how much he attempted (and succeeded!) to walk, so I definitely call that a win. Angie did a great job with the Blue's Clues theme, and once again made some of her beautiful cakes, which Rachel had no problem diving right into. We're happy to welcome her to the One Year Club. :)
Today, we had the honor of holding a Father's Day cook out at our house, celebrating with my folks, Mike's folks, and my younger sister & brother. What a great day! We had some yummy food, including hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, cucumber salad, chips & dips, baked beans, and a chocolate cake--the whole spread. The weather was pretty steamy, but again, there was enough of a breeze to keep outdoor activities bearable. We played corn hole & badmiton, and the heat required that we get some sort of bucket of water out for Aiden to play in. I think he appreciated it. :)
I do, however, want to take this opportunity to thank Mike for all that he has done and will do as Aiden's father--I couldn't ask for a better partner on this crazy journey of ours. I love you, honey!