Happy Birthday Savannah!

Our youngest turned one year's old. Wow. How did that happen? is the question we keep going back to. A year has passed swifter than we thought it would. Countless changes moved us in different directions as a family, literally and figuratively! Thankfully we serve as each other's constants :-)

Let's see...Savvy is incredible. Cassidy and Savannah together is magical. Watching them crack each other up and laugh and play is better than a hallmark movie with popcorn on a lazy Saturday afternoon! Savvy started walking at 10 months. She babbles frequently. She is cranky and happy all in the same moment. I hear that is a second child thing.

To celebrate we took a trip to Apple Hill. Over 50 orchards, vineyards, and farms in a tiny two lane community outside Placerville, CA. The two hour drive is beautiful. The traffic once there is not. It's a long way for some apples! But, we chose to stay overnight in South Lake Tahoe this time around instead of driving back to Reno in the same day and it was definitely the right decision! The girls had a blast. You know how sometimes there is an unexpected treat on an away trip that just makes it that much more enjoyable and memorable? The hotel we were at in Tahoe had a complimentary breakfast. Usually I read that as instant oatmeal, cold danish and juice. Maybe a hard boiled egg. Which is fine. This breakfast was a full meal in a restaurant adjacent to the property! Anything you want off the menu. Sweet!! We played on the beach for a bit before heading to Aunt Kitty's where she and John cooked up a feast! And Savvy had chocolate cake. She loved the cake. Was very methodical in her disassembly of it. I don't think she loved it as much as her first apple cider donut. I couldn't pry that out of her hands without getting a death glare warning of tempers that could rival titans should I even think about removing that donut from her sticky fingers.

Savannah got the cutest outfit from her Godmother Alzada! It has ruffles on the bottom. I am such a sucker for pants with ruffles on the bottom. And a lamb on front, which was funny because we picked up a lamb for her at Barnes and Noble and she loves to sleep with it. Did you know you get a free cupcake from the Starbucks at Barnes and Noble on Virginia Street if it's your birthday? Now you know.

Cassidy did a commendable job of understanding it was her sister's day to be special. It can be a challenging concept for some grown ups to grasp, much less a toddler. I think it helped that we made her feel excited to make her sister feel excited. She was a part of the celebration, and helped create it, but it wasn't for her and getting her to understand the difference was key in avoiding hurting her feelings. Instead of, "Why does Savvy get a present and I don't", it became, "Let's get Savvy this, she'll love it!"

And she did.