Birthday Eve
Facing forward
Riding the rails. Holden kept saying Choo Choo (his version of it) during the ride.
Window shopping along the way.
Still looking a little under the weather.
Merry-Go-Round
Quite possibly the saddest birthday boy ever
Pitiful
Holden's first birthday party was a big success. It was a beautiful day with lots of friends and family celebrating our sweet little boy. My only wish is that Holden hadn't caught his first cold which lasted the entire week and put a damper on his party mood.
The first guests getting the party started. We had about 25 adults and 15 kids.
Annika and Olivia testing out the playset
The Miller Brothers
Grandma quickly learning Holden doesn't like to sit still for very long.
Walking around to greet the guests.
Playing a game with Great Grandma
Grandma & Stella
The ladies from PA
Getting ready for cupcakes. Check out the awesome hat Grammy made.
He proceeded to shake his head "No" after getting a taste of chocolate. Not exactly the reaction I was expecting, especially since his mother is a choco-holic.
My poor, sick, chocolate-disliking birthday boy.
Two Grandmas and a Great Grandma. I really hope someone else got a better shot of this.
Sporting a Redskins jersey courtesy of our neighbors
Music toys and a Harley shirt from Uncle David, Aunt Christina, Molly & Lindsey.
The generous gifts and the giant monkey that welcomed everyone at the door.
Party favors
Tired out at the end of a very fun and special day. The celebration continues all week until the big day.
We went to VA Beach for a long weekend to enjoy some Shriner fun with Grammy & Ernie. We had beautiful weather and lots of laughs. We hope to make it an annual trip.
Rolling on the beach in style. The buggy has replaced the jumper as our must-have travel item.
Checking it out
Testing the water. This was also Grammy's first time with sand on her toes despite going on this trip every year. Oh, the things Grammy will do for her grandkids.
Back on dry land
At the parade. Typical us overslept and missed Ernie but we still got to see lots of interesting characters. Holden clapped for his favorites.
Watching the little cars with Daddy 
And Mommy
Not quite ready to commit to the Shriners
Waiting for our bike ride. We watched these family bikes go up and down the boardwalk and couldn't wait to enjoy a leisurely ride for an hour or two. How wrong we were. First, our tires didn't even make one full rotation before we realized we had a flat. Luckily this didn't happen 20 blocks up the street. We loaded onto another bike and started on our way. We quickly realized how much work it was and we were wondering why everyone else seemed to move effortlessly while we were literally pedaling like we were in the Tour de France while being passed by little kids. We never figured out a mechanical reason so we had to conclude that sadly, we're just all really out of shape. We rented the bike for 2 hours and were wiped out within 20 mins. All excpet Holden, who sat in the front like a king and loved every minute of it. We pressed on and did the entire boardwalk while parking here and there to enjoy a few beach weddings. Grammy lost (and found) her shoe, Ernie sliced open his hand, our legs were burning, and sweat was marking our trail but all in all we had fun, got a little exercise, and shared a lot of laughs.
Holden strapped in and ready to go. 
3 miles later...Are we having fun yet?
Neptune statue. Beautiful weather and a great weekend. Thanks to Grammy & Ernie for inviting us to join in the fun!
