i have to say, i thought this day would never come. mostly, because i couldn't mentally prepare for my big girl's first birthday.
we had an amazing day! i couldn't have done it without our families and of course, mr. b.
thank you, thank you, thank you! thank you for making decorations, making food, running around, picking up balloons and food, etc. you guys are awesome and helped in SO many ways. we also had some wonderful friends that drove in from out of town for the party. thank you, lindsay, hattie & david, pam and kaylene! you all helped to make perry's party memorable!
the food table
check out the beautiful table cloth that gigi (andrew's mom) made for the party!
we ate quiche, banana, blueberry & orange muffins, fruit, cloud cupcakes & hot air balloon cookies
this beautiful highchair was my daddy's. my mom and stepdad had it restained for all of the grandbabies to use at their house. i was so excited, they brought it for perry to use at her party!
yummy birthday girl smash cake made by chelle (my mama)
cloud cupcakes that chelle made
gigi also made the perry's first birthday banner. it's still up in our living room, i love it so much!
outside setup:
it was SO hot!
sweet friends!
adorable Olivia in the ball "pit"... the little babies loved it!
bean bag toss
pause.
my sister is awesome. she tied the huge balloons to the burlap covered cans (baskets) to make hot air ballons. the baskets (cans) held crayons for kiddos to color pictures for perry!
precious gwen. love this girl!
kate, jackie & gwen
sweet madison playing with the babies
practice makes perfect, lauren and reed (isn't she a pretty prego?)! can't wait to find out what these two are having! boy or girl?!
hattie & lindsay came all the way from mckinney! it was so fun having our girls together. can't wait until they can play together!
the cake stood no chance. we had to stop her!
an OUTRAGEOUS pile of gifts. what a blessed & loved little gal!
this little gal looks thrilled. she was pretty drained without a nap but i'm so proud, she was happy and loved her little party!
last week, i was approached by a friend to blog about the mercy project on labor day. to be honest, i wasn't very familiar with the program and it intimidated me to write about something that i know so little about.
so after reading & learning more about the project, i knew it was important to help spread awareness {even if it's through my handful of followers :)} i am honored and proud to be a part of the 100 women bloggers that are posting about the mercy project today!
take 10 minutes to watch the short video and make yourself familiar with what the mercy project is doing. as a mama, i can't imagine handing my child over to anyone because i can't feed her. these are choices that women in ghana are making every day. these babies are forced to work - they are neglected of the things that we are able to give our own children - love, education, a relationship with Christ, being cuddled, kissed, and even playing - all of the things that they deserve.
below is a small introduction to the Mercy Project. thank you for taking time out of your day to learn more. if you have any questions, please let me know! :)
There’s an estimated 7,000 children who
work in the Ghana fishing industry.
Some of these children are as young as 5 and 6 years old.
All of these children are slaves.
–Mercy Project
Today many in our country will take a day off from our jobs
to celebrate the social and economic achievements of American workers.No matter if we’re celebrating at home or at
the beach, we’re entering into a tradition that has largely been shaped by
Labor Unions - organizations that are dedicated to protecting workers’
interests and improving their wages, hours, and working conditions.Today as we lounge around or hang out with
friends and family, we’re not only celebrating hard work, we’re honoring fair,
ethical working practices and the laws that prevent discrimination, abuse, and
child labor in our country.Without
these laws in place (and enforced), the most vulnerable members of society
suffer.Who are the most vulnerable? Children.
Today as we’re celebrating the systems in our own country
that strive to prevent injustices like child trafficking and child labor, we’re
mindful of the many child slaves around the world who are unprotected and the
organizations, like Mercy Project, who are working to free them.
These children
are working 14 hours a day, 7 days a week.They are engaged in
long, hard days of physical labor, eating one meal a day, and then falling
asleep at night on a dirt floor filled with other slave children. This is the daily reality for kids who
have been trafficked into the fishing industry in Ghana, Africa.As with much of Africa, there is a great deal
of poverty in Ghana. Unfortunately, this leaves many mothers in an unimaginable
position: sell their children to someone who can take better care of them or
watch them starve to death. Most of the mothers are told their children will be
given food, housing, and an education. Instead, the kids are often taken to
Lake Volta where they become child slaves and their mothers never see them
again.Thankfully, Mercy Project is
working to break the cycles of trafficking around Lake Volta by providing
alternate, more efficient, sustainable, fishing methods for villagers –
ultimately eliminating the need for child slaves.Because of the work Mercy Project is doing in
Ghana, the first group of children will be freed this month from Lake Volta.
Please watch this moving, 10 minute documentary
about the issues surrounding child labor and trafficking in Ghana and most
importantly the hope Mercy Project is bringing to children and entire
communities in Africa.Mercy Project is
the only NGO working on Lake Volta addressing the injustice of child labor and
child trafficking at its root - by strengthening the Ghanaian economy and
eliminating the structures that cause the demand for trafficked children.
Whether these ideas of child labor,
child trafficking, and modern-day slavery are new to you or you’re aware of
these injustices, but need to hear some good news every once in awhile, we
invite you to become a part of what Mercy Project is doing in Ghana.When Mercy Project frees their first group of
children this month, we can all celebrate together.
Although child trafficking, child
labor, and the unstable economies that result in these injustices are a
tragedy, we’re grateful for what Mercy Project is doing to protect the
vulnerable and for allowing us to be a part of this story.While we’re commemorating labor laws and
ethical work in our own country today, we invite you to follow along on this
journey with Mercy Project to protect and free children in Ghana.
happiest birthday to our sweet, precious perry lucille!
today is your first birthday, baby girl. daddy and i love you so much. you have turned our world upside down in the best of ways.
after a tough, exteremly long day, you {very stubbornly} entered the world at 4:49 pm at
7.1 lbs and 19 inches with a crazy amount of dark brown hair!
now you're a little blondie!
your are happy, funny, sweet, and so smart! you have taken your first steps, already said your first words (dog, da-da, and no) and love to be tickled. you love your baby doll and know how to give her her paci. you love other babies and children and you light up when people are talking to you. you love meal time, too :)
you have the best disposition - you are such a joy to be around.
i can't believe it... mainly because our years together have flown by! he sometimes tries to tell me old stories, and half way through, we realize that it's a story from the time that we have been together. ha! i love that we have such a wonderful history with one another.
this was 7 years ago!
this guy is an amazing husband, father, son, brother, son-in-law, brother-in-law, friend, co-worker, the list could go on and on... andrew has an incredible gift to always put others before himself. he is constantly 'doing' for all of us. i am so thankful that he provides for our family in such a giving and loving way and that our daughter can have such a sweet example. he's the guy that works all day and comes home to help with perry, dinner, cleaning, etc. then he'll mow the yard, just for kicks. i am really, really blessed.
i wanted to do something special for him, so i threw a super small get together for his day.
let me interject...
perry stayed with her gigi and papa jim so that her mom and dad could stay up later than usual. thank y'all for keeping her!
we are thankful for our sweet friends and family that could help us celebrate! i wish that i would have gotten more photos - i'm sad that i didn't have my camera flashing all night.
we had so much fun...
happy 30th andrew! we love you! perry and i are the luckiest girls in the world!
i am a blessed wife, daughter, sister and now a mommy! i'm a faithful believer in God's goodness and thankful for the life He has given me. thank you for catching up with mr. b & me!
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