Ellie's First Birthday

the birthday girl

Ellie is one! We tried to arrange for a traditionally messy first Birthday cake but it wasn't in the cards. Ahead of time, cakes were ordered from our local bakery, "Charley's Backstube" here in our village Pech. There was somewhat of a language barrier, but we thought an order for a small Elmo cake (for Ellie) and a larger cake with strawberries for others was communicated and finally placed. Scott picked up the cakes on Saturday - three of them! Two HUGE strawberry cakes and one FLAT marzipan Elmo. What is that? A flat first Birthday cake? Is this tradition here in Germany? Anyhow, Ellie's first year of life has certainly flown by. At less than three months old, she moved to corporate housing in downtown Cincinnati. At four months old, she moved internationally to Bonn, Germany! By year's end, she will have visited or lived in seven different countries. How's that for your first year! Sleepless nights aside (yes, she's STILL a terrible sleeper), she is one hilarious little girl. She's always got a smile on her face and adores her big sister, Julia.

P.S. The Rice family will NOT be celebrating another first Birthday next year!