Erich's Birthday

Right on the tails of Erich's 10 ft tall handsome face hanging up for all to see, we got to celebrate him for another reason... his 35th birthday!  We had a small little celebration at home with the girls and opened gifts.  Then we headed to Stow to spend the big 35 with Nana, Papa, and Aunt Nikki.  We had a great time enjoying the weather, savored a fantastic ice cream cake that Nikki made (her cake talents have no end), had a wonderful dinner at a local Italian restaurant, played at the park down the street, and spent a lot of time just being together.  In the midst of all that Nikki had her camera handy and was snapping away... she captured some moments that will forever be amidst my favorite photos of Avery, Norah (which I'm saving for a separate post).  Nikki, you don't realize what a gift you have!

Daddy and his two little girls.  My heart explodes when I look at this picture. So. Much. Love.

When I asked Avery what she wanted to get Daddy for his birthday without a moment's hesitation she said, "A book, a ball, and a candy bar because Daddy loves chocolate".  So that's exactly what we did! The book and the candy bar were for Erich, but the ball idea might have been a little self serving on her part. Avery was the beneficiary of a shiny new Toy Story ball.

Nana singing the birthday song that is a special tradition in the Piland family.  It's a treasured moment for Erich every year to hear that song.

On a whim, we asked Nikki to take a family photo of us while we were at the park.  It was the end of the day, Avery and Norah were both tired, cranked out, and ready for bed.  They were not having it.  We got 20 perfectly posed photos where both girls had a pout and nobody looked like they wanted to be there.  In an effort to force out a couple of smiles we took a break and started being silly, hoping they'd lighten up and we could try again.  Who knew Aunt Nikki was still behind the lens?... Turns out the best family photos come in unexpected moments.

Another favorite candid moment.  Nana and Papa love the girls so much and we love them more than we can say.  Another one we love is Aunt Nikki, and I just realized we don't have a single photo of her from our birthday visit!  Sorry Nikki, that's what happens when you are the photographer. We love you just the same :) 

All in all, it was a great weekend celebrating my favorite man.  Avery, Norah, and I are so blessed to have him as our daddy, husband, fearless leader, and constant entertainment.  Happy Birthday Erich!