Planning the party of the year…literally…one year

Wow…I can’t believe that I have to be in high gear planning mode for Tucker’s First Birthday party?  It seems like yesterday that I was trying to squeeze me and my GIANT belly into the crowded family table at Uncle Bill and Aunt Sandy’s last Thanksgiving.  Where does the time go?  It is just moving so fast that I can barely comprehend how VERY different our new normal really is now.  So here I am almost 1 year later planning a birthday party for our baby boy.  I hmm haw’ed about a ‘theme’ for his party for a few months now, I have this weird pulling towards all things pirates when I think of Tucker, but it just didn’t seem right.  So I thought and thought and poof – an epiphany…duh a GOLF theme.  We have so many golf things already and it’s right up Eric’s ally…it’s something that we can enjoy doing together.

The first step to planning any party is to dig into all that Pintrest has to offer.  There are COUNTLESS examples of every different kind of party decor you could imagine.  I stumbled upon the perfect party golf theme that someone else threw for their 3 year old.  And away I went with my Photoshop CS5 to create cutie patootie invites, water bottle labels, photo banners, cake, food, ect.  It’s going to be a really fun day!

Here’s a little sneak peak into the theme of the day.  Owenge and golf.  Great combo!

Some friends are going to come over and help me make some cake pop golf balls (in vanilla, chocolate, and pumpkin) some other friends are going to make cookies and a small cake for Tucker.  I am right now thinking of ways to keep A MILLION kids occupied and out of things that don’t belong to us, as we cannot fit close to 100 people into our house, so we will be using an offsite location.

I am sure you’re thinking 100 people for a 1 year old party is insane, well you’re right, but mine and Eric’s family is HUGE, and we have some awesome friends who have been really important in our lives and Tucker’s first year.  It wouldn’t be a party without them.  It’ll be close to Christmas so maybe we will have less, but less or more,  I can’t wait.

My only real concern is the mood of my child.  I pray for a good day with him, 99.9% of them are good, but every so often he becomes overwhelmed and I am sure everyone will want to hold him and oochie coochie him, I have no issues with that but he may.  I hope no one is offended if he is standoffish.  But come what may I am going to do what my friend Mel has taught me, “Let go and let God” all I can do is pray and do my best to make sure that he has a low key few days and good naps the days leading up too and the day of the party.  Do what a I can and let Jesus Take the Wheel on the rest.

I feel fortunate that we will get to celebrate Tucker’s first birthday period.  With dozens of family and friends period.  Our blessings are overflowing, and we are so grateful for all that the Lord has blessed us with.  Maybe this is a little over the top, but I’m a realist, this party is for everyone else.  The only memories Tucker will have of this day will be from the pictures he sees.  So Eric and I are going to make it a great day for us all with the help of our family and friends.  And we will carry the memory of the day with us forever.  It’s another great occasion for the Gitters…there is bound to be snow there…so if you’re one of the lucky 100 make sure you have a snow brush in your car!

Dear Tucker,

 

You’re first birthday is fast approaching!  I am jumping the gun a little bit as you will only be 11 months on Sunday, but we have a lot to plan for!  Your dad and I are working hard to create a fun day for all your family and friends to celebrate the day that you arrived on this earth.  It was  a joyous day filled with wonderful people.  I can’t believe how much you’ve changed.  You make our lives richer everyday.  Being your mom is just the very best job, and getting to plan your party is just a great perk.  I love to plan parties, I can’t wait til we can look back at the day and tell you the story of Tucker Turning One.  Maybe I’ll make into a picture book that we can read every year on your birthday.  Well until you’re too old to think that’s cool.  Your dad and I have to find a place for you’re growth chart I bought for you, it’s almost time to make the first mark on it.  wow!  You’re only a baby for a little bit more.  I love you and all the gifts you have given me. 

 

♥

mom

The wedding and the snow

I feel as though I should let you know that snow is a huge part of my life with Eric.  All of our big milestones involved it, but at the time of our wedding we had no idea the joy the snowy days would bring to our life.  Actually we thought being so late in February we might miss any snow.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The planning of our wedding was so much fun.  I did lots of research and price shopping and found pictures in magazines of things I wanted and learned how to scale it down to fit my budget.  We booked February 24th, 2007 at the Milwaukee Marriott West in Waukesha, WI.  I fell in LOVE with it the moment I saw it.  I couldn’t wait to walk through those doors as the Princess I knew I would be.  Eric and I got lots of unsolicited advice about the wedding and about marriage from everyone we knew and didn’t know, but some of the best:

• “ask to have your food wrapped, you won’t eat it and you’ll be sorry you didn’t later” - we did that, although it didn’t make it to our room it’s great advice none the less
• “at the end of the day the most important thing is to be married, if everything else goes well it’s icing on the cake” – BEST advice we got, it made me a mellow and calm bride despite the chaos of the day
• “what doesn’t get done by rehearsal dinner won’t get done, and you’re the only one who will notice.”  yep, so true.  But my mom did do some stuff Friday night that made a few great finishing touches.
• “make sure to actually invite God to your wedding” I know this sounds weird, but I said a prayer inviting God to be at our wedding, I wanted to make sure that we began our life 3-fold, just because we got married at a Church to me wasn’t enough, I wanted God to know that we WANTED him there.

Rehearsal dinner was at my church and the dinner was catered in the fellowship hall, and followed by feet of snow pouring down.  I admit I was nervous about it, but nothing I could do but pray to God that everything could go on as planned.  I woke up the next morning to snow still falling, but we had to move and groove no time to think about the snow.  We got our hair done at Craig Burns Salon in Delafield, one of my bridesmaids worked there and they got all 7 of us beauties in at the same time.

From there we headed over to Mequon to Faces II salon where we got our make up done.  The owner does such an amazing job with make-up, she’s so uber talented!  From there we headed over to the church to get ready.

Before we knew it, we were being told to line up.  The snow continued throughout the service and ended just as we were ending the ceremony.  I can’t explain the confidence that I had walking down that aisle, no one was there but me, Eric, and God.  It was amazing.  We said our I do’s and walked back down the aisle Husband and Wife.  My life would never be the same again.  The snow let up for a bit and just as were sitting down for dinner all hell broke loose and you couldn’t see anything out the windows the snow was so thick and fast.  I had no idea how bad it was until the next morning when a friend had to help shovel our car out of it’s spot.  haha, the first of many snowy joyous days of the Gitters.  All and all it was the very best day of my life.  I can’t imagine anything going any differently, and all our friends and family got home safely some took longer than others, but it was amazing!

Dear Tucker,

Marrying your dad was the very best day of my life.  He is my very best friend, our day was magical being surrounded by all our family, friends, and God.  I pray that someday you will find a wonderful woman and your wedding will be as marvelous as ours was. I look forward to the day where I will get to dance with you at your wedding, and watch you stare into the eyes of a woman who loves you with all her being and you look back at her the same way.  It’s hard to fathom that you’ll ever be old enough to be getting married, since right now you just started crawling around, but the way the ladies flock to you in daycare I know that day will come fast.  For there will be a day I can no longer protect you when you’re on your own, I pray to God with all my heart that what I’ve taught you takes you far in life as the upstanding man I know you are capable of being.  I love you with all my heart Tucker Tot.

♥

mom

The Love Story of Us…Eric & Patty

How many times do you get asked the question, how did you and your husband meet?  Well I do enough that I thought I’d put it on here.  Eric and I met when I was in high school and he was working for the local paper covering sporting events.  I thought he was so obnoxious and weird.  He was also 6 years older than me and I had a boyfriend who I was in love with…remember the feeling of ‘love’ in high school?  (I know I know there are some of you still in love with your high school sweetheart – that’s awesome, but that’ s not our story)

Fast forward 6 years I was in college and working at a local golf course bartending and beverage carting and Eric pulls up on a golf cart. He looked great, lost a ton of weight and was actually funny now.  He ended up working at another golf course that my boss, at the time, also owned and along with 2 other co-workers the four of us became inseparable for that summer.  Eric and I started hanging out and one night after a 14 hour day I found a note and a snack on my car asking me to go on a date.  We went to the movies, he’s took me to see the Incredible Hulk…romantic I know.  He’s so cute that way though.  Our next date was back to the movies, I got to pick this time.  I picked 28 days later, cause it was supposed to be scarey and he could console me.  Yeah, another flop movie – but we did finally get our first kiss at the end of that date.

Fast forward 4 years to February 16, 2006, one of the coldest days I could remember we went out to dinner with Eric’s family to celebrate his mom’s birthday at The Mineshaft.  My best friend’s sister was singing in a karaoke contest and I wanted to stay and cheer her on.  Eric asked to leave 3 times and I was getting super annoyed and told him that if he wanted to go then go, I’d stay at B’s house.  He pulled her aside and told her that he was going to propose and he needed her help to get me out.  Needless to say I left with a chip on shoulder, but the night ended in utter joy.  After he proposed we called my parents in Mexico, who of course were waiting on pins and needles for the call.  Everyone at their resort knew I was getting engaged.  We immediately went to planning  mode and set the date for February 24, 2007.

Dear Tucker,

 

I pray for you to have your own love story to tell someday.  Follow your heart and know that I am here for you along the way.  Finding the kind of love that will last forever isn’t easy, and you’ll go through many heartbreaks before you find the one for you.  Your dad and I promise to try not to be too overbearing or embarrassing when you start dating, but that may be hard.  I can for sure promise to not show your most horrific pictures on your first date with your future wife, like your papa showed me of your dad! But it all ended well for us!  Make sure that you are romantic and unforgettable when you propose to your future wife, it’s old fashioned but get down on one knee, and make sure to ask her mom AND dad for their permission, and know just as your grandpa says, there is a no return policy!  (:  I love you Tucker Tot!

 

♥

mom