On this day, Nathan the Pirate turned one. Exactly one year ago, he had the biblical cord around his neck and couldn't wait to come out. So imagine how many people were happy to see that he's grown up (even for a little pirate). :-) The extended family gathered on this day. I met an uncle, uh-hum, a grand-uncle that drove from afar. And there's even people that flew in from Washington. Needless to say, mommy and daddy were very excited. Look what they've done to make this party "authentic":

With any party, especially that of a child, it's almost guaranteed that there will be many other kids. But, let's dedicate this post to Nathan, the little pirate that reached this important milestone. Congratulations, Polly and Cody! Happy birthday, Nathan! I wish you a wonderful life ahead of you. And, be good, even for a little pirate... P.S. For the CD with the pictures of this party, I designed and made a CD case for the family. For details, please click here.

When Sharon and Dennis contacted me to document their baby shower party, I was so happy for such a couple that's deeply in love (you can see the manifestation of that love here)! At the same time, I pictured in my mind the female-dominated theme where gift opening is a large part of it. So when I was told that there would be around 90 guests attending, you can see how I was looking for my jaw on the floor. Turned out, for Sharon and Dennis that are widely-connected and love their friends as if they are families, this is more like a gathering that celebrate the new life that's about to join such a big family. So the guests include direct family members, people that could date back to their elementary school time, and co-workers. And many others are the kids of this closely-aged group. I was having so much fun taking pictures of such a wonderful party and couldn't resist telling stories:

Early afternoon, looks like everything's ready:

Now the real cake:

And the balloons: And lots of festivity here:

So the question again - looks like everything's ready, where is everybody?

Well, let me say one thing before people start trickling in.

From all the parties that I've been to, my personal opinion is that kids are the ones having the most fun. And you can't help but notice that in this party.

Hey, for sure, Sharon and Dennis are a happy couple and they can't hide the glee from everybody (again, you can see it here). Trust me, I am happy for them too! But just go along with me and you'll see what I mean by kids having the most fun in this party.

Sharon and Dennis definitely planned it like a kid's birthday party, although the baby that's being celebrated about has not appeared yet. You see, they have all kinds of entertainment planned for kids:

The jumper where kids, well, jump: The magician's here:

Great energy from the magician: Well, the juniors went crazy! Umm... How did he put his hand through the hat? And who says parties are not about eating?

That was a fun party, for the kids, wasn't it? While being the observant capturing pictures, some of the personalities did come through from the interactions. For example, I met a young lady Chloe (mind you, it's not the Chloe that you've read about in my earlier write-ups). When I first greeted her with my camera lens, standing there all by herself, her eyes were clearly asking what business did I have in that place. By the time the party ended, she was running towards me, all smiling.