HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ZADA!  And Happy Halloween!  This will forever more be a super busy day!

We started off lining up some stuffed animals and toys, ending with her new doggie and some gifts.

She trundled out of her room and immediately saw the doggie. 

It was love at first sight! 

She was kind of interested in tearing the wrapping paper for just a minute.

New books! 

A cute little xylophone hammer combo toy! 

Magnetic tiles!!  She was very pleased with her new things and immediately set to work playing. 

Then the business of Halloween morning took over.  Leiden didn't get to dress up for school today, but she dyed her hair dark last night!  We used a semi permanent dye, and she's suddenly a brunette, just in time for Halloween!  I really like it.

Zada got special pancakes for her birthday!  I made pumpkin because Halloween, and hers had kefir for syrup, and a bit of whipped cream. 

She got right down to business and ate it all up. 

Jon was able to stay home for the morning so I could go to the annual elementary parade to see Meemer.  She looked so great with her tattered dementor robes! 

Mac got to dress up for school, too, so she had a comfy day in her jammies, but wore her new Summit Auto Lab shirt, courtesy of Faith and Clayton! 

This evening we divided a bit.  Leiden wanted to stay with her friends for a little get together and trick or treating, but the rest of us, including Ava, headed up to Grandmere's house for the annual hotdogs and chili before trick or treating!  I had remembered I kept this cute little coat from when Leiden was a baby, and it was perfect to keep this little witch warm in the cold evening. 

We enjoyed dinner, 

took Zada inside for a bit to warm up before heading out,

then went trick or treating! 

The people were seriously so charmed by this tiny little witch. 

It was really getting late, so she and I headed back early to get her to bed and Jon and my dad stayed with the other girls to trick or treat as long as they could last. 

I wanted to get a picture of her standing in a doorway to see what others would have seen, but she just wanted to come in. 

Later at home, the traditional candy inventory took place. 

Everyone had fun, Zada had an awesome birthday, and just like that, it's over!  Happy first birthday, little Zada!

Tonight was the trunk or treat.  We were originally scheduled for last Saturday and it got cancelled because another ward needed the building for a funeral.  So we ended up having to share tonight with another ward, so it was a little different.  Jon also had to stay home so Zada could get to bed on time, and so that was weird too.  I don't like dividing what are supposed to be family activities, but life goes on and it won't be forever.

Mimi's dementor costume turned out so great, I love it.  Her creepy hands are super cool.

Leiden was also super cool in her 80s garb.  Unfortunately the makeup we got her was pale and kind of a let down, but we just tried to over apply! 

Mac was super cozy in her baby jammies and was very enthusiastic about her binkie. 

The evening was also made strange because it has been snowing and really cold, so the actual trunk or treat was inside the building, which was just not as fun.

Apparently Leiden was going around the building with all the other kids, quite a few way older than her, and some boys that were handing out candy gave her a hard time for trick or treating at her age.  So she stopped and came and sat with me!  I told her they were just jealous their moms made them hand out candy and not to listen to them, but she felt so self conscious she didn't do any more trick or treating.  Poor girl is right at that age.  I remember the last year I trick or treated in my grandmother's neighborhood, and a couple people at houses made comments about how old I was.  I definitely felt self conscious too!  Nowadays it's not uncommon at all to open your door and see 18 year old boys!  

Tonight for dinner we had jack o lantern stuffed peppers!  Super easy and the girls really enjoyed it as part of our Halloween dinner tradition.

Also at dinner tonight, Zada clapped at the beginning and raised her arms at the 'throw it in the oven' part of patty cake! 

Fun day today!  We got to get out all the awesome birthday gifts and play play play!!  Grandmere and Bapa got her a little tunnel and play house set.

They fold down when you aren't using them, so they are ideal.  Maybe for Christmas we will get her balls for the 'ball pit'! 

We planned on carving pumpkins tonight as Halloween is coming fast, but we didn't have any to carve!  So off to the little patch right by our house for a quick and dirty pumpkin pickup. 

As it turns out, the news at the middle school was far worse than originally understood or disclosed.  School is out entirely for a couple more days, and then the students will go to a half day of core classes until December.  Mac is not happy about this, although it does mean she gets to go on adventures with us!  She loves school and the structure it provides.  She helped Zada wheel around the pumpkins we picked.

They had just a couple animals to see, but the day was just FRIGID, so it was a quick hello to the donkey and a quick jaunt through the maze. 

You can't tell from the picture, but it was so freezing!!!  So we hurried home and played some more! 

Madison, Joni, and Thomas gave Zada this cute little farm animal puzzle, and it's great!  The pieces are chunky and well made, with big knobs that are easy for her to grab. 

Tonight after Zada went down, it was pumpkin time! 

Cleaning out the guts is always a crowd pleaser, and then Mimi was doing a really cool design when she accidentally cut her pumpkin in half! 

I was happy to see all the smiles from the girls. 

The pumpkin lineup on the porch:  Jon did a pumpkin face like a picture of Zada that's really funny.  I did a birthday cupcake, Mac did the restroom signs, which was really cool, and Leiden's friendly monster smile is great, too!  Mimi's ended up quite avant garde with half the pumpkin gone! 

After Mimi and Mac went to bed, Leiden roasted some pumpkin seeds. 

I think with Zada's birthday on Halloween, which is a really busy week or so anyway, we will have to be really mindful about getting in all our normal Halloween activities and traditions each year.

The day of the party is here!  I can't believe this little miss is almost one!

We skipped church today because the timing wasn't going to work out with naps and party, and while Zada napped snow started to fall!  

Jon thought he should dress up for his Halloween daughter's party, but it's Sunday, and we didn't think about it ahead of time.  He thought for a brief moment he should figure something out with his old wetsuit, and provided some entertainment in the acrobatics involved to get it on!  He did quickly decide against a wetsuit based costume, and decided to just go casual. 

While Zada took her second nap at Grandmere's house I got the smash cake area ready.

Finally, she was awake, everyone was there, and it was time!! 

At first she was a little timid. 

But slowly figured it out! 

Though she dug in to the cake a decent amount, she wasn't as frenzied as I expected her to be, and I realized I should have just done a regular cream cheese frosting on the cake.  I made swiss meringue buttercream and just flavored it with cheesecake flavor oil...I think this was a mistake.  The frosting was quite hard in the cool October house, and the taste wasn't what a carrot cake frosting should be!  I realize she didn't have anything to compare it to, but I would do that differently next time. 

She stayed put really well, and looked super cute in her messy little witch dress.  Eventually she realized she had a hat on and took it off.

Happy cake smash little Zada! 

After a quick hose down to clean her up, it was dinner time! 

Yummy chicken tortilla soup with all sorts of Mexican fixings and fruit and rolls. 

I failed to get a picture of the dessert cakes with their cascading bats flying out of them.  But Zada enjoyed being sung to! 

I'm not sure one bit of dinner made it into her mouth after digging into a cake, but we had to try! 

Leiden chose to do her skeleton costume and the half face again.  She definitely got into the spirit of things!  The other girls dressed up, too, but their costumes are cozy and casual. 

Zada thought the pile of gifts was really most useful for practicing her mountaineering skills, 

So we had to help her see that they had all sorts of fun things in them! 

Grandma and Grandpa even sent a gift from Michigan!

All in all, it was a great party celebrating this little girl. 

We love her so much and we were so happy to gather today in her honor.  The real big day is coming up soon!!