Violette's Birthday

This little sweetheart turned seven yesterday. 

we threw every candle we could find on these cupcakes. 

mitchell and violette. 

We knew we were having a girl, but we went to hospital without a certain name. I really wanted Ophelia, and I think Nate really wanted Persephone. He didn't go for mine, and I didn't go for his. But we both liked Violette and Scarlet, a lot. So, we agreed that we would look at her first, see what kind of a personality she had. If she was a red-faced crying newborn, she'd be Scarlet. If she was a quiet soul, she'd be Violette. 

gotta hold that long hair back.

She was born during a Twins game. Johan Santana was pitching against Cleveland. That 2006 team was one of my favorites of all time. Ozzie Guillen coined some of our members the "piranhas." Remember that? I watched so many games that year, and we watched most of the game in the hospital the day Violette was born. Here's the box score for Twins 4-Indians 1 in 2006: http://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=200608150MIN. I've never been quite so charmed with baseball since. I don't even pay attention very closely anymore. Like, did we trade Morneau or not? Does anyone on the team have an interesting personality?

max and isabella. max is isabella's boyfriend. he's pretty cool. the kids like him quite a bit. also, he helps clean up. you gotta like that!

lucy, trevor (neighbor kids), gordon, archibald.

violette's gift: record player and records. tom petty, bon iver, juice newton, trampled by turtles, bob dylan, reo speed wagon, statler brothers and kenny rogers among them. i made out like a bandit at tune town in downtown mankato, on riverfront drive. their twitter feed here: https://twitter.com/tunetownMankato

mitchell shoving cake in nick's face. i'm sure his mom really appreciated the blue food coloring all over his lips. 

violette and the love of her life, pops.