Look Who's 1!!

    Cannon turned one last Saturday (July 28th) and we had a fun little party for him. Not going to lie, I've kind of been planning his party for like the last four months. It wasn't anything over the top or extravagant, but I think it turned out great! It was a sock monkey theme and about a week before his birthday we took his one year old pictures. I had my aunt take his pictures because she has a beautiful back yard (Marc and I had our wedding reception there) and she has a nice camera and is a good photographer. I did everything right the day Cannon was going to get his pictures. I bought a brand new shirt, bought a sock monkey, bought adorable balloons, got him in the bath and did his hair right before we went to my aunt's house, and I gave him a late nap so that he'd be happy later in the day. Sadly, we got to my aunt's and before we got a single picture with the balloons they flew away high in the sky and Cannon was pointing at them and saying "Buh." Then we couldn't get even a crack of a smile from Cannon. I told Marc that I just wanted ONE, "Hey I'm so happy, it's my birthday!" kind of a picture for his birthday invites and Cannon wasn't having it. Marc and I were jumping up and down, making ridiculous sounds and faces, my aunt even has chickens in her back yard that we were trying to get Cannon to smile with. He would smile when Marc threw him up in the air, or when he was jumping on the tramp, but that wasn't the perfect invite picture I had in mind. Cannon is so silly! I swear he knows when we're trying to take a picture and he purposely doesn't look or smile. Anyway... Long story short I borrowed my aunts camera and took a few pictures the morning after and got faint smiles that worked out. Besides, that's more of Cannon's personality anyway! Here are some of the pictures:

Cannon's invitation

We had his party in our backyard, it was perfect weather.

Banana caramel and chocolate cupcakes

Banana pudding that my  mom made and chips and salsa

Our sock monkeys

The kids made "sock monkeys" which kind of ended up looking like mice...

Our friends Jenica, Dave, Deborah and Cannon's buddy Colton

The Fam

Uncle Hunter and Uncle Jo

     My aunt Kristin made his adorable sock monkey cake. She basically made the whole thing up herself. She's so creative! I told her she needs to sell her cakes! It was perfect.
     After everybody had treats Cannon opened his presents. Up until this point he wasn't so sure about all of the attention he was getting. In fact, he was being pretty whiny and clingy to me. After he started opening up his presents he decided he liked the attention and he loved all of the toys he got! He was one spoiled little baby!

"Auntie J" :). We're so glad we have such good friends and family!

Cannon worked really hard on figuring out how to blow this noise maker. He finally did it and was very proud of himself and clapped for himself afterward!

Cannon's new ride on truck and his friend Kaiya

Watching Cannon eat and destroy his cake was definitely not a disappointment! It was my favorite part of the night watching him mutilate his cake. He was smacking it with both hands like a drum, he stuck his whole face in it, put one leg over the top of it and then started putting it in his hair. It was hilarious! My sister in law took way better pictures of this than I did so when I get them from her I'll post them.

  
     Cannon went at his cake for quite awhile, it was so fun to watch! After his cake I had a game planned for the adults where you tie a banana around your waist with some yarn and then swing/thrust the banana at a ball and move the ball. We were going to have a relay race doing this, but it was getting late. Bummer! It would have been hilarious to watch my parents and in-laws attempt this game. Maybe some other time!
     To end the party Marc had made a sideshow of Cannon of his first year of life. He used video and pictures and it was perfect. I've watched it like ten times and get teary eyed every time I watch it. I can't believe Cannon is already one year old. He has changed so much in the little amount of time he has been here. He has absolutely changed my life. He has brought me such joy and happiness in being a mother. We love everything about him and can't wait to see his personality and character develop even more. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LITTLE CANNON BALL!!

Joe's Valley Family Reunion

     Every other year our family gets together with my Grandma Florence's side of the family for a BIG family reunion. I'm talking like 5th and 6th cousins are even there. We always go over the fourth of July and this year it was our extended family's turn to be in charge of the reunion. We planned lots of fun activities and kept very busy. Marc and I got to the reunion on Weds and left late Friday night. To start off the reunion we had a patriotic parade. Everyone was dressed in American attire and we waved around flags, blew kazoos, and sang patriotic songs. To be honest, we were quite annoying! But still had fun!

My dad thought it would be hilarious for the boys to dress up in their paint ball gear and lead the parade. They marched in a triangular position and shot their paint ball guns in rhythm... What nerds! :)

This was Cannon's first time ever really playing in the dirt... I'll admit I like my baby to stay clean! It was hard to just let it happen. He ended up getting filthy, but he loved it!

   

Cannon in his Captain America shirt and his cousin Ellie

Right before I took this picture I told Cannon to "Strike a pose" and this is what he did.

     Sydney, Chelsea and I were in charge of the line dances this year! We taught the Boot Scoot'n Boogie, The Cupid Shuffle, and Good Time by Alan Jackson. It was a blast, but I realized how completely out of shape I was by the end of the third dance. Marc was by far my favorite part though. He decided to make up his own line dances. It was hilarious! 

Cannon was bouncing his feet to the music the whole time

  
     I didn't get a picture of it, but we had a kickball tournament and my team won!... Victory!! Sydney put together the teams and our family had to be split up into four teams because we had so many people. Everyone who wasn't on our team was complaining because they said Syd "stacked" our team and put the best players on it. I probably would've complained if I wasn't on the team, but since I was, I didn't care. haha. So our team name became stacked. And I now feel ready for our kickball tournament at the end of this month, not to brag, but I pretty much rocked it. Well not at the kicking part, but I got a lot of outs in the outfield.
     Besides the kickball tournament we also played softball, Marc went fishing with my dad, we played lots and lots of games and card games and had lots of fun laughing with my family. Cannon also did great his first time camping! I always get a little nervous to take him on vacations, but I seriously have nothing to worry about, he's always good! He is such a great baby! We had such a great time, it was a memorable reunion!