Stella's Birthday

My first baby turned THREE!!! 

We invited classmates and friends this year.  She really seemed to understand that she was having a party.  The party was at the Children's Farmstead, so we embraced the theme.  

Not perfect, but cheap and you can tell they are pigs and sheep...(right?).

I love how they hold hands at this age.  Sweet little hands.

Aunt KK and Stella feeding goats.  Once she got in there she was pretty overwhelmed and scared.  KK handled it well...even when the white one was trying to eat her shirt.

Such a trooper, this little one.  She didn't cry or steal any thunder.

Happy Birthday to YOU!

One of my favorite babies to take pictures of...she sees the camera and instantly flashes this smile.

Well, of course my other favorite baby.  She was trying to share water with Daddy.

Stella is such a lucky girl.  She had two birthday parties in one day!  Family came over later to help celebrate.  I may have forgotten my camera for most of the night.

At last, Esme seems to be enjoying books as much as Stella. How can you not when Grammie is reading?

Relaxing with Aunt Kate before everyone arrives and the real party begins. 

Oh man...Yaya is in the room.  Esme is like a magnet.  Mama doesn't even exist when her Yaya is there.  What is your power wise one? 

Her second chance to blow out candles.  Don't worry the angle of the camera shot makes it appear she is closer than she really is.

Me:  Stella, what kind of cake would you like for your birthday?
Stella:  Ummm....a rainbow cake Mama.
Me:   sigh.  OKAYEEE.

As Stella was pulling out tissue paper to reveal a gift...she discovered the tissue paper may be more fun than she originally thought.   She began jumping around, throwing them in the air and rolling around in it.  There was pure Joy.

She was given her very own camera.  It is child proof, but still has a digital screen.  Now she can be like Mama.

She loves to dress up, so Ben and I gave her something other than fairy costumes to add to her make believe dresses.  Apparently, this little get up put her in the mood to perform.  She danced (tapped maybe) on the hearth, it was quite the show.

Her first sleeping bad from Grammie and GP.  She made everyone have a "sleep over" with her before they left.

KK teaching Esme how to use the camera.  Hmmm...button pusher or photographer?

It was so nice her Birthday was on a Saturday this year.  It is neat to celebrate on the actual birthday.  She had so much fun.  She still is talking about it.  I am just glad she understands it was a special day and will not happen again tomorrow...I am tired!

Oh....I had to throw this shot in.  Stella helped her dress up.  Festive isn't she? 

San Fransico Part 2

I left my camera behind one day by total mistake.  It was a very important day for pictures too.  I missed shots of Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39 and a whole lot of other awesomeness.  B & K...I will need to get some shots from you!

This is the street we stayed on.  The bay windows to the left was a bedroom in our house.

Dinner one night; we bought some freshly cooked crab from the Wharf.  Ahhhmaayzzzing!

I was surprised at the beauty of Alcatraz (the outside of course!).

I love this photo of the group.  By chance, they happened to be spaced like this.  I yell, "Hey Guys, look at me!"  This is how they stopped. We were on our way to the top to tour inside,

Yikes!  I have tons of pictures from this, but who wants an entire post on Alcatraz? (I do I do!!)

We rode a more modern trolley car, the line was too long for the old fashioned one.  We were smashed like sardines in this bus like machine on rails....it was horrible...and stinky.

The name of the car happened to be "Kansas City." 

Chinatown was crazy, busy, crowded, beautiful, interesting and fast. I could have sat on a corner and watched people.  There were little old women shorter than me with bags on wheels who walked on a mission (watch out toes!).

Some unusual food...

Lots of food.

So pretty.

Too many photos to choose from. What's a girl to do?  Food and rainbows of course.

Best breakfast ever.  One of them anyway.  Don't you agree Ben?

A kite festival.  The octopus kite was awesome. Just awesome.

Just a couple more shots of the bridge...

We saw it under blue skies and with the fog.  Very cool both ways.

I couldn't resist these last two shots from wine country and a local Petaluma bar off the camera Ben was holding (I forgot to check the card here!!).

We pretty much had this bar to ourselves minus a couple locals.  There were taxidermy animals EVERYWHERE, all over the walls.  The bartender (who we think may have been the owner?) says to us, "What?  Don't you have animals from where you come from?" 

HA.

We had a lot of fun here though.  Ben and I learned how to play Hearts.  This began an addiction for the next few nights.  Right as we were catching on and we (I mean "I") would occasionally win, it was time to fly home.  So...anyone interested in playing?