clémence's first birthday!

it finally came! it was such a whirlwind of planning and handmaking things for the few months prior that when it was the actual day, it was so nice to just be able to relax and celebrate our beautiful daughter and the most incredible year for jeremiah and i. it was a french soiree that included a grilled cheese bar, mimosas, lemon rosemary cookies and madeleines, a photobooth with disguises, an awesome (if i do say so myself) and handpicked french 1960's pop music playlist, and the closest and most incredible 50 people in our life!

we asked a family friend (who also happens to be a great photographer...lucky us!) if she would be so kind as to take photographs that day so i wouldn't have to worry about catching everything and actually just BE in all those moments. you will have to forgive me for the amount of pictures that are to follow...there were so many good ones that it was hard for me to narrow them down!

the birthday girl!!

                                                             
                                                                   photobooth fun!

cake time!

first christmas: in three parts

my goodness how much better christmas is with a babe (and everything else for that matter)! there was so much joy just watching her rip through paper, spending time with our families, and (for the both of us) being able to hold her and sing with her during church in the morning.

being the only grandchild on both sides, there were quite a lot of presents to be opened... so it was almost as if she had 3 christmas.' first, dinner and festivities with jeremiah's family on christmas eve, then our own family time early christmas morning, church, and on to my parent's home in the afternoon! the three of us were a little tuckered out by the end of it, but it was oh so much fun!


part one: christmas eve at the sazdanoff's home (jeremiah's side)

she got such great gifts from everyone...including madeleine's
christmas and beautiful french wooden blocks from
 her aunt tarah and uncle joshua!

this dress (from her aunt tanja and uncle alex)
instantly became her christmas dress for the next day

so excited haha

these blocks are so amazing and i am so happy we can
spell her name the correct way!

her and tanja

her and alex

part two: our first christmas morning...

still wakin' up

opening her first gift...

this is the most poetic and beautiful children's book.
if you don't own it, you should probably make it happen.
(we were definitely more excited about it than she was)

opening a 'grand' one!

we call this one her 'little richard' pose

all dressed up for church!

after church

part three: the barnes' home (my side of the fam)

with papa

of course there was a horsey involved! (2 of them in fact!)

with uncles bo and tuff

playing with her new 'little people nativity set' ...
but mostly just chomping on their heads

love her.