First Birthday!

Today we celebrated Anna's first birthday. Auntie Natalie and the cousins came over for dinner and cake. Natalie had made a super cool play kitchen for Anna! Complete with pantry/fridge, a lamp, curtains...

...and it even has a window, showing the Munich "skyline"!

We also had prepared some small gifts and her first birthday cake:

Yum, cake and ice cream!

First Thanksgiving

Anna celebrated turkey fest in style (appropriate clothing for every occasion - thanks to Shannon!). For the non-American: "TG" is celebrated on the last Thursday of November and as I came to learn a pretty big deal.

Love the turkey outfit!

Our little monkey

Anna has to climb into and onto everything!

Her toys...

The kitchen cabinets...The dishwasher (her favorite place)...

Sophia's doll bed...

First time at an amusement park

Last weekend some of our playgroup moms (and dads) took the kids to a very small amusement park outside of Austin. Though Anna was maybe a bit young, she still enjoyed the rides.

First ride: the carousel. Holding on for dear life! Next up: the boats.

Anna ended up riding with Heather and some other kids Looking out of the Ferris Wheel - no sign of fear of height

Getting a little rest when nobody is looking...

First Halloween

First time(s) at the pumpkin patch

First tooth

I guess you can't really see it in the picture, but I promise, the first 2 are there!

First time on a horse

Anna has seen horses before on Grandpa's ranch but this past weekend was the first time she actually "rode" one.

First time at the beach

Last weekend we went to South Padre Island (in the South of Texas, almost to the Mexican Border) for a long weekend trip. We shared a condo with Christina, Lee and Sophia (2) and Ryan, Sorana and Avery (1) and had a great time. I have to admit, it was nicer than I expexted - being a Texas beach. The condo was directly on the beach and we had a very nice view.

At first Anna wasn't that convinced about the salty water and the waves but she got used to it eventually and started to like it.

Here with her Daddy and his BEAUTIFUL hat.

Not so much the sand: initially she cried when she was set down in it and only got to the state of tolerating it.

So much better sitting on the mat!

Spa time with the girlfriends!