Celebrate!

We've had a lot to celebrate the past few weeks.  First we celebrated Penelope's 2nd birthday.  We went to Chuck E. Cheese with a birthday coupon I got in my email.  They send a coupon for 20 tokens on your kids birthdays and half birthdays.  We just split the tokens between both girls and they both get to play some games and pick out some prizes.  Usually all we can get with their tickets is a couple packs of Smarties and some stickers.  But they think it's a blast and we sit at a little booth and eat our Smarties and watch Chuck E. Cheese put on a show :) Afterwards we went home for some cake and presents.  

I can't believe she is already two.  She is so much fun to have around!  She is also so sensitive and so cuddly.  She definitely loves her mama.  She loves babies and I'm so excited to see her become a big sister.  I know she will love her little baby sister!  She talks a lot, she loves to color, she loves to dress up and is almost always wearing accessories.  She LOVES music and dancing and singing.  She and Eleanor are becoming really great friends and I love it.  We love Penelope so much and we're so glad she is in our family!

 Here are some pictures from her doctor's appointment.  Eleanor loved "helping" the doctor and reassuring Penelope everything was ok. 

Penelope also loves books.  These girls could sit and read books all day.  

Here are some pictures from our most recent visit to Barnes and Noble.

  

Both girls really like doing puzzles, too.  Here they are at the library doing some puzzles.

               

Next we celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary.  And of course I don't have any pictures of us on our anniversary.  Andrew had orientation at school so I stayed home and ate freezie pops and watched some TV :)  But the next day we celebrated with a family fun day.  Our wedding day is the day we were sealed to our kids, so what better way to celebrate then with our two sweet girls! We went to the library, then went to IKEA, ate lunch at their little cafe (I know, pretty fancy, right!) and then the best part of all, we found a snoball stand!! Not just any snow-cone place, but an authentic New Orleans style snoball stand!  It was awesome, and the girls were big fans!  Since our first visit we've tried to limit our visits to just once a week! 

   




Since I have no pictures of me and Andrew together on this post I figure a walk down memory lane of our wedding day might be fitting :)  After we were first married I would look through our wedding pictures and my favorites were the ones that I thought I looked pretty in - haha so young and superficial :) But now when I look at them, my favorites are the ones that evoke memories and feelings and thoughts of eternity.  Here are just a few I grabbed off of facebook that are my newest favorites (they aren't the originals, so they obviously aren't the best quality, but you get the idea)

I love this one because I remember sitting up in that little cove and laughing with Andrew.  From the first time I met Andrew I've always been really comfortable around him and able to be myself.  And what comes along with being myself is saying what I'm really thinking and Andrew usually finds those things pretty humorous.

I love this one because my nails look really pretty.  Haha, just kidding.  This one reminds me of how much I like holding Andrew's hand.  I am not a PDA person at all.  And holding hands often makes me feel claustrophobic.  But whenever I hold Andrew's hand I feel secure and loved and just calm, like nothing in the world could go wrong.  Like I said before, I just feel really comfortable around him and I have no insecurities when I'm with him.

I love this one because of the reminder WHERE we were married.  The temple, the house of the Lord.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  This is the right place to be married and because we made this choice we can be together forever and have our children sealed to us.  I'm so grateful for temples!  And so grateful that that is the place where I was married to Andrew!

Speaking of Andrew, next we celebrated his last first day of school EVER!  Wooohoo!  So he's done with law school, but this is his last semester of business school!  He just has two classes so he's only gone two nights a week.  I think I can handle that knowing this is our last semester.  I don't have a picture of this particular day, but here's another flashback to his first day of graduate school.

First day of Law School - August 2008

Next we celebrated me being "full term".  Here I am at 37 weeks.  At the doctor's office I've been measuring a week behind most of the pregnancy but at my 37 week appointment I had gained 3 pounds in one week (which was a lot since I usually only gain 1/2 - 1 pound a week) and now I'm measuring a week ahead.  Little sis must have had some kind of growth spurt!  I'm anxious to see how big she'll be and if she'll pass up Eleanor and Penelope's 9 pounds 4 ounces.  I'm now 38 1/2 weeks pregnant (but who's counting).  My brother Freddie comes in town on Saturday for about a week to help with the girls while I'm having this baby.  So hopefully she'll make her appearance while he is here.  Fingers crossed!

Next we celebrated Labor Day.  Andrew's parents came in town and Andrew did some yard work with his dad and his mom watched the girls so I could run some errands.  Then we went to lunch at Chick-Fil-A and of course it wouldn't be a celebration without more snoballs!

And lastly we celebrated Andrew's work from home week.  He was able to work from home this week because the DNC is in Charlotte and apparently important people are staying at the fancy hotel across from Andrew's office so a bunch of roads are closed and there will be lots of traffic in the area.  Also both of his classes were cancelled this week because his school is downtown near all the festivities.  It's been nice to have him at home.  But he's probably secretly ready to get back to the office :)

It's crazy to think our next celebration will be our new baby! I've finished everything on my to-do/get-ready list, so now we are just counting down the days until we get to meet her!