This was a few nights ago

And we’re heading to Seattle tonight. We’re sticking around to watch the VP debate but hoping to get out of here as close to 7pm as possible. Which means….there’s a lot to do!

This video is older. And it’s titled "Too Many Pacis."

Remember this post about us visiting family at a nearby campground and Ali having a BLAST playing with my cousin Matthew? Well, here’s a video of it:

Ok, well she’s been three for almost two weeks now. Happy Birthday Shayla! And labor day weekend we went to her b-day party at Pietros. And forgot the memory stick

But we attempted some photos on Tony’s phone. Which always takes me longer to upload b/c it’s kind of a pain and then last night Facebook wouldn’t upload them even though I tried over and over and over and over. And even YouTube was down so I couldn’t upload the video either. Really weird.

Today though, we are in luck. Shayla, we had such a great time at your part,y and were so glad to be able to see you in all your glory. Thanks for sharing some of the spotlight with Ali. Also, we know you will be a great big sister ANY HOUR NOW. Ok, not hour per se, but Cynthia was due with baby Adriah yesterday so lets get this show on the road already!

Shayla’s Go Diego! cake and glowing mama-to-be in the background.

Shayla pretty much kept at least one eye on Ali the whole time she was opening presents.

A tense moment? Ali busted out with "Ba-pa!" for backpack the moment she saw this and has been saying it ever since.

This is a video of everyone singing "Happy Birthday" and the followed attempt to blow out the candle:

The day after this we had a baby shower for Cynthia. While I made sure I had my memory stick I failed to take a SINGLE photo of her, her belly, of the big-sister-to-be. Sad! Cass, I know you took some shots, did you get any?

Like 2-3 weeks ago.

As already mentioned Ali slept through the first part of her party. And it was her third nap that day. She woke really cranky and was so, so unsure of all the people when I brought her down. All the people = Tony and I, George and Martha (Karen and Georgia were at a swim meet and came later), Uncle Jim and Aunt Connie, thier son Todd and his girlfriend Meredith, and Grandma and Grandpa Carroll.

We’d gone the day before to the party store to pick out some decorations. We endedup getting an array of stuff; some "First Birthday," some Elmo/Sesame Street, and some Dora. We got to keep it a surprise because Ali let Karen, and even Georgia, hold her while we shopped. So she was super happy to see the Elmo platesand Dora napkins. She actually took an Elmo plate with her on the flights home and is still playing with it. She likes to fold it in half and then open it like she’s playing peekaboo with Elmo.

Sometime during dinner Ali spotted the presents and wanted nothing else than to be able to get to them. She was obsessed. Finally it was time and everyone headed in to watch. Tony set her down, expecting a beeline to the gifts and….nothing. She got scared and hid behind the rocking chair! Also notice that once she does come into the room she gets scared again and tries to climb on who she thinks is her daddy but is actually her great uncle Jim. It’s kind of shaky because I was laughing.

The next video is her opening her first present and then one of her opening her last, the "bike" Tony got for her. As good as she’d been for the past few days, at the farm, at the mall, everywhere, she wasn’t fully herself at this party.  Not as outgoing, not as friendly, not as funny. So that was kind of sad because it was the only time she saw all of the Carrolls.

Can you tell I was holding the video camera (well, actually Tony’s phone) instead of the camera during the present opening? Then it wastime for cake and ice cream and the unveiling of the final surprise:

The singing basically terrified her.

We have a one-year-old in the house!

Afterward we were supposed to do some sparklers but the mosquitos were out and people were starting to leave so it was brief. Then we came inside and Ali watched her new DVD and played with her new toys. Then it was to bed because we had to be at a memorial in Madrid (thirty minutes away?) at 8:00am the next morning.

A rare picture of Auntie Martha.

Chatting with the lid to her new toy.

The remains.

One morning last week: