Happy Birthday, Journey!

Today is Journey Kaiser Schnell's 1st birthday!!  He knew something was up when I had my shoes on yesterday morning.  Mommy wearing shoes before 10 a.m means one of two things: 1) We're going on a walk, or 2) He's going to daycare to play with all of his friends.  Yesterday, we celebrated Journey's birthday with a walk around a small German village not far from where we live.  A new village to explore got the super adorable butt-wiggle reaction at the front door that mommy loves!  He could barely contain his excitement! 

But what I really wanted (but didn't tell him) was that I wanted to take his pictures.  I even bought him a birthday hat and birthday bow tie for the occasion!  

  
For someone that is not all that great at taking pictures, our morning quickly became frustrating.  I had to fight the fog and a naughty puppy who could not have cared less that mommy wanted to take his picture.  I'm sure y'all are fully aware that I am not a photographer.  I can take okay pictures.... sometimes.... but I heavily depend on good, natural lighting, and a willing participant.  The fog made natural lighting nonexistent, and if you've been to Germany you know that sunlight is rare for this time of year.  According to weather.com, yesterday was the only day we were getting sunlight for the next five days- foggy or not, I was going to take advantage of whatever sunlight I could get!  But all Journey wanted was to sniff every single piece of grass he could get his nose on, and, he thought his birthday hat was pretty stupid.  Getting him to sit still for my camera was close to impossible.  Basically, I had everything working against me.  But, with all of that aside, I think I managed to get a very few somewhat okay pictures. 

Daddy was there to help behind the scenes.

  

Terrible pictures or not, rambunctious birthday boy or not, I still got to spend my morning with this face!  He may not have wanted to get his pictures taken, but I guess when it's your birthday anything goes... no matter how mommy feels.  Last night we all walked Isabelle to the skating rink and back, so he got two longs walks- one without a camera- in one day!  This morning we surprised Journey with 7 different rawhides and a special beef stew breakfast!  He couldn't be happier!  

Journey is seriously the sweetest soul ever created.  If I could figure out how to bottle the love that Journey gives I am quite certain it would cure homelessness and all other bad things on this planet....his love is a potent thing that only he knows how to give.  And he just so happens to have the squishiest ears!  

Happy Birthday, Journey!