Just Plane Fun

We celebrated SS's very first birthday with just plane fun.   

I knew I wanted to do an airplane-themed party for SS's first birthday because his nursery is loosely airplane and travel-themed, but I hadn't really gotten inspired. And then one afternoon I finally sat down and googled.  People are so creative. And I pilfered all of their creativity. 

We mailed all of our guests their "Boarding Passes" for the party. The First Class tickets were individualized with "passenger's" names printed on them, and lines about Just plane fun for SS's 1st birthday and SS's first year has flown by! My husband gets all the credit for creating the invitations based on a similar design we found online. And I just made the airmail envelopes using markers.

Speaking of guests, SS's birthday was made extra-extra-special by some beloved visitors.  My sister, brother-in-law and nieces traveled all the way from Washington to help us celebrate SS turning one year old. And GG came from Lake Havasu to party with us too. Their whole visit was wonderful and relaxing and I am excited to get pictures from the entire visit up soon.

For party decor we hung batting from the ceiling to make clouds, put out luggage, had signs for the Baggage Check (for the gift table), the First Class Lounge, the Drink Cart, and the In Flight Meal. I also made some airplane garland during a couple of Crafternoons with Tada. (Crafternoons were what kept Tada busy in the  afternoons while BB and SS napped. Girl loves crafting. And crafting could be anything from watercolors to creating houses for her stuffed animals out of paper scraps - I just plunked down glue sticks and construction paper and markers and stickers and tape and let her go at it. And joined her to cut out some airplanes a few times.)

 

I also made an airplane out of a watermelon, and J and I made these sky and cloud jello parfaits. (All totally pilfered creativity.)  And we ordered sandwiches from Beyond Bread, our favorite sandwich place. 

We had a couple of simple activities set up at the table - guests could make a candy airplane, and make and paint an airplane out of clothespins and popsicle sticks.

I love all of the decor, but obviously the best part of any party is the guests.

Cousin M snapped this pic of the guest of honor, SS the big boy one year old. M recently started up her own graphic design business, Retrospect Design, and designed this awesome shirt for SS to wear to his party.

Group photo!

(Serene is holding up her Ipad, showing Cousin B and Uncle Matt Face Timing in during the cake and present-opening, as B was back in the hospital during SS's party)

Our little family

(When I went to pick an outfit, I realized that I had a dress that resembled a stewardess dress and a wings pin, so I embraced the theme.)

And now for a zillion party pictures!!  Enjoy!!

Passengers

                            

Sisters!

My sister and bro-in-law

GG!

Cousin A, so grown up. I totally teared up when I saw her in this dress.

                                  

GG and her brother, my Uncle B, who just moved to Tucson!

   

My sister and her family came to Tucson from a Southern California amusement park tour - they went to Disneyland and Sea World and Universal Studios, and brought back spoils for us all! Here's my mom opening her gifts.

SS stared and stared at all of the decorations when he came down from his nap - made mama's heart happy. 

Crafting

In Flight Dessert

SS's personal cake 

(yellow cake with a whipped cream cheese frosting, homemade by mama, for those interested)

The cake for the rest of us - I will not be on Ace of Cakes anytime soon. 

Not exactly what I envisioned, but it was delicious!

 

 

 

 

Face-timing with B

Opening Gifts

Sleepy and Silly

Just sleepy

The book Heads from Auntie Seen, Uncle Matt, B and Tada

Big Brother helping

Gifts from Mama and Daddy and Tada and BB

Pulling out the tissue

That's Not My Puppy book and a sweet taggies ball that Tada picked and SS loves

Soccer ball from Great Uncle B. SS then became obsessed with this ball and only wanting to play with it and not open any other gifts.

Gifts from Auntie Jen, Uncle A, M and A - Class Disney bath toys, and baby penguin from Sea World, and  Hard Rock cafe bib (already much used), and my favorite, a stuffed Mickey Mouse. Seeing the Donald Duck bath toy made me miss my dad - he used to do Donald's voice. And then Uncle M did Donald's voice over Facetime, and we all laughed.

There's the taggie ball from us, cast aside for the beloved soccer ball :) 

BB got special gifts too

That, my friends, is a flying Buzz Lightyear. BB plays with him almost every day.

I'm letting this picture of Papa speak for itself.

Getting to know Mickey with Auntie Jen.

Flying High

Precious one-year-old flying high during his first birthday party

And that's a wrap on SS's first year.