Ben's 1st Birthday - the recap

Invitation, made with the help of Crafty Katie.

It got to a point, around 6 hours of shared labor and 35 cards, where I decided everyone else would get an email invite.  Not that I love those of you less!

To pull off the theme I served all the food the Very Hungry Caterpillar ate through.

I also printed off pictures from the book that I found online, adding text to go along with the menu.

This fruit salad consisted of the VHC's menu on Monday-Friday.

The salami, pickle, swiss cheese, sausage, and nice green leaves -

aka cilantro. 

I also threw in some marble cheddar cheese and crackers.

Cherry pie - made from scratch by my mom. 

(Isn't it beautiful?!)

The VHC ate through a cupcake - I made a funfetti cupcake caterpillar.  This was inspired by different cupcake caterpillars I found online.  The Skittles are supposed to mimic the colorful dots on the title page of the book.

Chocolate butterfly cake. 

Made by my wonderful mother-in-law and sister-in-law.  It was soooo yummy!

Singing "Happy Birthday" while L chomps on the lollipop.

Ben did really well when all 60ish people sang to him.  :)

Friends from high school who came to celebrate. 

Friends from Newman who came to celebrate.

Friends from church who came to celebrate.

(this is not a good picture of me - bad angle - but look how pretty V and L are.  And L is having one heck of a good hair day!)

Friends from my Catholic mom group who came to celebrate.

We are really, really blessed by our great friends.

Beautiful weather meant people could hang out inside or outside.

Ben and his birthday cupcake. 

Okay, really he found the cupcake, half eaten by a 2 year old friend, picked it up and ate it. 

Whatever.

The sign on the front door. 

L helped me make it - she dispersed the glue, cut the grass, and colored where I had (4 times) specifically told her not to.  She went to time out for disobeying.

Opening presents didn't excite Ben too much.  He ripped open about 4, and then there was a wave of little kids who wanted to help.  When this dinosaur was opened there was a collective gasp of awesomeness by all people under the age of 9.  Ben then sat with his lovely godmother and played with the cool new toy.

My mom and my aunts.  I like these women.

The cake bakers.

(I have really great in-laws.  Seriously.  They rock.)

It was an a great day.  There were a lot of people, but it seemed to me that everyone had a good time.  There was enough food and drink, and plenty of helping hands for set-up and clean up. 

Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate my son's life!

We love you very much!

And thank God for the awesome weather!