Eilee's 2nd Birthday!

So...we finally got our memory card to work again on the computer and we wanted to share all the fun pics from the last couple months. On March 3, Eilee turned two so we celebrated with a baby doll and teddy bear picnic on our back patio. Eilee has been in love with baby dolls for the last year so she was really looking forward to it! It was adorable to hear her discuss the plans for the party in the weeks preceding it. We had crafts and a puppet show by daddy, Auntie Erika, Uncle David, and our friend Mitch. Then, Grandma led the group in a song and Mommy read a story. Eilee talked it about it every day for weeks. We are so thankful to have such a exuberant little 2 year old!

Little Prayer

Lately Eilee has loved tossing all her baby dolls and little people and sheep and random toys into her crib and then asks if she can join them. Last week I found her sitting with all of them in a little prayer time. So sweet! She just loves to pray for any people she knows (family and friends she has just played with) and any fun things she has enjoyed. Lately her prayers have gone something like this...."Thank for Daddy, Mommy, Eilee, and (insert family members' names) and the lady and the man and the boy and the girl and the park and the swing and (insert whatever fun thing she has just enjoyed) and (insert whatever friends she's thinking of---lately it has been Toby and Kristia).

P.S. This was the afternoon, but she had begged to put on her Christmas pjs. :)

Our 10th Anniversary

We decided our 10th anniversary (January 2) was a perfect reason to spend our first night away as a couple since Eilee was born. Since we had heard about a "Carpe Diem" special offered by the chain of inns that owns the Blue Lantern Inn (where we spent our honeymoon night), we tried out a new inn by booking it the day of our anniversary for that night. We picked The Channel Road Inn in Santa Monica, a large craftsman home converted to a B and B. After settling in, we continued our tradition of eating at PF Changs on our anniversary and loved the Prix Fixe Menu that they are offering right now (appetizers, soup, entrees, and desserts for 2 for $39). Since our inn was in walking distance to the beach, we enjoyed a morning run together along the boardwalk and finished up with more than our fair share of the yummy breakfast back at the inn. Then, we were off to explore Venice and all the interesting shops along their main street (which I am forgetting the name of right now). My sweet husband was a trooper as we perused many a store in search of a 10th anniversary memento (something aluminum or tin for a tradtional 10th gift). When we thought we had looked in every store possible, we found a greenish glass candleholder/vase/glass decorated with "aluminum-ish" looking metal. At that point we were satisfied, and went off to enjoy the most amazing tea ever at Jin Patisserie. If you ever are in the area, that is the place to go for the most amazing pastries, teas, and chocolates in a contemporary setting. Kristoffer is not usually one to frequent these places, but he couldn't stop talking about the Roobus (sp?) teas we both had...delicious. It was a perfectly cozy meal to eat on a brisk day. We both agreed that having a night away was the most amazing treat at this stage in our lives...it made us feel like newlyweds (but better) again. :)

Happy New Year 2009!

We continued our tradition of a cozy day at home spending some alternating time alone reading, praying and journaling thoughts about the new year. :) Thought we'd take a picture in front of our tree like last year.

Snow Day!

We decided to take advantage of the great snow at Forest Home on Friday with the Carlson and Myhr families. It was fun to see Eilee experience it all. We just realized that we really need snow clothes for her...The makeshift ones we used did not cut it in 23 degree weather. Suffice it to say, we had a brief time in the cold and were glad we caught a few pictures before she said, "Mommy go to car and go home." :)

Sweet Little Mommy

It is so adorable to watch Eilee play with her little dolls. She is such a natural nurturer. The day after Christmas I found her up on Mommy and Daddy's bed giving her dollies a nap. :) She's been having a blast with her new baby bottles and doll stroller....it seems that price really doesn't matter to little ones. Her favorite toys were under 10 bucks at Target. :)

Christmas Day

We had Christmas morning at our house with what we thought would be a short gift opening, but we were amazed at how carefully Eilee opened her packages this year...it seems she is still intrigued by it all! Maybe next year she'll be tearing into them like her older cousins.:) Then, we went to Grandma's and Grandaddy-O's house for Part One of the McGuinness celebration. We loved sharing a special devotional by John Elderidge about the carol "O Holy Night" (please see his blog to read it---it is so moving). And we all squeezed around the tree as always for our cozy gift opening. Mom made her yummy traditional Orange French Toast and Cranberry Breakfast Pudding. Then, it was off to our our Reidy cousins for a delicious Christmas dinner and Maureen's famous Christmas cookies. We loved seeing all the family!