Elise's Second Birthday

Elise had a birthday! This sweet kid turned two on Saturday. I can't believe how grown up my baby has gotten.

Thanks for the cute outfit, Aunt Bridget!

We had a lot of fun celebrating Elise's birthday. Holly and her family came, as did a couple kids from church.

(I only posted pictures of Elise and my sister's kids, though, in case the other parents don't want their kids' photos on this blog.)

Elise had a Sesame Street themed party, with an emphasis on Elmo. She loves Elmo's World (as seen on youtube and library DVD's since we don't have a TV), and would watch it every day if we let her.

We started out with some bubbles.

the tables, all ready for the kids to make Fruit Loop necklaces

Elise and Daddy

My hair is crazy from running around (while 8 and a half months pregnant), but I still love this picture because Elise makes me laugh.

Savannah making her Big Bird necklace with Fruit Loops

Hudson really wanted to get to the presents.

Elise in her Cookie Monster necklace

munching and stringing

Then we played place the nose on Elmo. There was a lot of peeking going on. :)

This was supposed to be Ernie's duck pond, but the cheap little ducks I got didn't sit up. Oh, well.

The kids seemed to like it anyway.

Savannah and Leighton choosing ducks

Ryland picking his duck

There were also some other activities, including a musical dots game where the kids had to stop when the Sesame Street music stopped, and then they got candy.

the spread, including Dorothy and friends goldfish crackers and Cookie Monster's cookies

the Elmo cake I made

(which, thankfully, turned out much better than last year's disaster of a cake)

and Elmo cupcakes

Happy birthday to Elise!

blowing out the candles

It was awesome to watch Elise rip into her presents. She was very good at ripping the paper off.

She loves that little CapriSun bag in the background. This present was a set of blocks. Both were from a friend.

Elmo's World DVD

play birthday cake set from Aunt Holly and family

fingerpaints from Aunt Bridget and family

ABC book (and Target gift card) from Aunt Paige and family

Little people airplane

baby doll that can go in the tub

Elmo toy with buttons, snaps, zippers, etc. from Grandma and Grandpa

cute doll with a bowl and sippy cup, from another friend

enjoying the balloons

She also has a balloon with Elmo's face on it that she loves.

Hudson enjoyed the balloons too.

Thanks to those of you who came to the party! We had fun celebrating with you. And a special thank you to Holly and family. I don't know how we could have done it without you guys.

Happy birthday again, Elise. You bring so much joy to our family, and we're so blessed to have had the opportunity to be your mom and dad these past two years. We love you!

Visit to the South

July 10th through the 18th, we took a trip to the South to visit my family. It had been so long since so many of us had been together, and it was great to visit with everyone. The kids have all gotten so big and grown up! We spent the first part of the trip in South Carolina, where everyone got together at my oldest sister Paige's house. The second part of our trip we spent at my sister Bridget's house.

This was Elise's first trip on a plane. I was nervous about how she would do, especially since we had to wake her up before 5am to get to the airport in time for our flight, but she did pretty great. We even had some compliments from strangers on how well she did. And she wasn't two yet, so we didn't have to buy her a ticket!

She loved looking at the planes at the airport.

Paige and Elise at a really fun indoor play place

It was huge! Elise was in heaven. We went here twice during our trip. It was fun for the kids and helped get some of their energy out. I got pretty worn out following Elise around in there while 7 months pregnant. The play place was so big, though, she probably would have gotten lost or stuck in there without someone with her.

We also went to an awesome children's museum in Charlotte, NC, but I didn't get any pictures. I also somehow didn't get any pictures with Paige's husband, Earl, in them, but it was great to meet him.

Elise finally got to meet Nana (my mom)! 

Elise was actually meeting everyone in my family for the first time, except Bridget and her husband Kip and their son Elliott. And of course, she knows Holly's family well, since we lived with them for several months.

Hudson got to meet his Nana for the first time too.

And I got to see Bryce for the first time since he was a year old. He's gotten so big!

Dylan and Holly

Jordan and Elise

And we got to meet Elijah for the first time! He was so close to walking on his own.

Paige, Bridget, Jordan, and Holly

My sisters and I (minus Lauren) got to visit our dad's gravesite together. It was pouring rain, but I was so glad we got to make that trip.

Elise loved the dog, Cookie, and all the fun new toys.

She loved Dylan so much. And the buckles on his wheelchair.

Mia, Hailey, and Kenneth played a lot of this one Wii dancing game.

Elijah, Dylan, and Hudson hanging out on the floor together

Jordan and Holly

Daddy and Elise eating ice cream together

Holly and Garrett

Paige and Dylan

Mia, Hailey, and Lauren

Bailey, Bryce, and Kenneth

Kenneth, my mom, and Mia

handsome Hudson

Hudson, so happy just to hang out on the floor with a spoon

After we spent some time at Paige's house, we headed to Bridget's for more fun.

Bridget and Elijah at the waterpark

Matt and Elise

Hudson and Holly

Elijah, Bridget, Kip, and Elliott

We also went to a children's museum in Greensboro, NC. I did get pictures there. It was a lot of fun too.

Elise and Matt with the train

There was a fire truck, a police car, a plane, a racecar, a mail truck and more to play in.

Elise in a giant chair in the lobby

Elliott and Kip playing trains

Matt and Elise in the garden

Elise in the play pizza kitchen

Hudson and Holly bouncing

The plane is in the background (it had a slide too).

Elise liked bouncing too.

I'm not sure why, but she is obsessed with this video of herself and still asks to see it all the time.

me, Elise, and Matt in the giant chair

Speaking of giant, try to ignore how huge I am in this picture.

Elise had a lot of fun with her cousins. Bryce and Elise got a lot of amusement out of this popped air bed.

I couldn't believe how well Dylan was getting around! I haven't seen him since before he learned to crawl.