Lovely Lily turns 1

Sweet cousin Lily (and her mom and dad) really know how to throw a winter birthday party! We were invited to Lily's grandma's house in Richmond, Ill., where Allison grew up. Earl and Allison baked a feast for brunch, and Lily's uncle Scott created a super-speedy sled run in the backyard.

Andy kept busy, taking Ellie for multiple rides.
He assisted the birthday girl onto her toboggan with Early.
And coached Will through his first head-first sledding adventure.
Early, where's your hat?! I love that Lily brought her piggy along for the rides.
When everyone had warmed up inside, the birthday girl finally got to try her hand (and palate!) at her birthday "snowball" cupcake.
Next, Early began to tackle her birthday loot—with plenty of help from Ellie. Cousins Tommy and Lily, the adorable dynamic duo, wasted no time getting down to business trying the new toys.
The big kids weren't left out of the fun: the Kessels' very cool home, built by Allison's dad, provided the perfect perch for Ellie, Ivy, Kiera, Ayden and Will to look down on the action.
Happy birthday, little Lily... who will soon be a big sister! Thank you to Grandma Rosemary for the hospitality, and Omi for the photos. :)