Twenty {OMg}

My how time flies.

Why, just the other day, we were first time parents who brought home a newborn from the hospital who cried all night long. We didn't know why she was crying! She's got a clean diaper, she's not tired, she won't nurse. Did I eat something she is allergic to? Did I eat something with too much garlic? Does she have colic? Well, just to get some sleep, let's try that sugar water the hospital gave us and see... oh, look, the poor thing was starving to death.

Well, guess who blinked...

We gathered the family together to celebrate twenty years of living with {and loving} Leah. Sadly, this was the only picture I got of the birthday girl {if you don't count the blurry one to come}.

We went really low-key since Keith had emergency gall bladder surgery about four or five days before the party, so no BBQing like we normally do. Instead, homemade subs and a few easily prepared salads, and {as always} a liberal dose of family.

Emma and her fan club.

John, Grams and Paul

This was one of the last times we'll get to see Tiffany and Jason and fam. They are leaving us for beachier views {and I haven't decided if I'm sad they are leaving or glad for the excuse for a vacation destination}

London and Brooks

Solving all the worlds problems

Presley...

...munching

Cakepops! Delivered {in tact} by my sister. Made by her mother-in-law, who makes the divine and packages it in cake. I definitely recommend ordering the rocky road.

Zella ate two.

She is one smart cookie.

So, here's the sad commentary. I make sure to get pictures of food, but not many of my darling daughter, the birthday girl.

{must work on this}

This year, we decided that instead of buying a cake that no one will eat and we'll throw away more than half, we would buy the giant muffins from Costco. We picked out 4 flavors and let everyone pick what they wanted to eat. Emma did the picking and she wanted to pick the poppy seed muffins along with the chocolate, banana nut and apple struesel but I nixed that thinking 'who wants poppy seed muffin with ice cream? Pick the vanilla with chocolate chips'. {I blame my inner chocoholic} So, guess who asks if we had any poppy seed muffins?

The birthday girl

And, frankly, the vanilla with chocolate chip was a disappointment {John agreed with me on that}.

We also had Sherbet {for Keith's new lower fat diet} along with ice cream and the no sugar added ice cream {for my Dad}. We cater to quite the variety of diet requirements now!

When it came time to sing Happy Birthday and blow out the candles, Leah picked up Presley and let her "help" her blow out the candles. It was very cute.

But, after taking the close up picture of the birthday muffin, I completely forgot to change the settings and got a blurry picture of Leah blowing out the candles. I cannot explain how the picture in between the two turned out ok. And it certainly doesn't count as a picture of the birthday girl since its a picture of the back of her head {grrrrr}.

I didn't get a picture of everyone, but I did grab people as they were leaving...

Grammy and Pappy

Grams and Paul

I swear that when I'm taking their picture it doesn't look like they are looking down but when I download all the pictures, it is painfully obvious...

 Keith is going to have to start taking pictures for me.

Lori and Gail

It was really nice to see Gail again, after Gail and Jim moved a while back {to Illinois wasn't it? I've got to write these details down}.

Happy Birthday, Leah! May this year bring you happiness and success...

...and luck that your fake id will last you until you turn 21 next year.

Your birthday is a special time to celebrate the gift of 'you' to the world.