Third and finally

Three birthday parties for a one-year-old - CRAZY! Miss Lilah June is totally worth it, though. We hosted a family gathering on Lilah's actual birthday. It was wonderful to spend her day with the people we love so much, and who love Lilah dearly. Wes made a delicious dinner, and Lilah enjoyed more cake. I think she was expecting some cake today, given it has been a regular occurance this week.

We wrapped up the weekend with Lilah's baby dedication at church on Sunday. It was wonderful to have both sets of Lilah's grandparents present for the occasion. We feel very blesed that God has given us two beautiful girls to raise, and we wanted the opportunity to express to our intention to raise Lilah to know and love Jesus Christ, and to also ask fellow believers to help us in this endeavor.

What a great weekend!

Birhtday Round 2: Playgroup Party

Lilah's birthday celebration continued with a party with her playgroup friends. It was a garden-themed gathering - the kids 'grew flowers' and 'fished.' Kids and mommies all seemed to enjoy the celebration! The princesses made an appearance at the end of the party. Thanks to Wes for braving play group to take pictures.

Lilah's Birthday Round 1: Uncle Tim and Aunt Molly

Lilah's birthday celebration began last weekend when we visited Uncle Tim and Aunt Moly in Chicago. She certainly enjoyed her cake!Thanks to Tim and Molly for making her feel so special and loved!

First Movie!

Elise and Wes went on a Daddy-Daughter date to see Elise's first movie in the theatre (pronounced the-ATE-r by Elise) - Winnie the Pooh. Here they are at the beginning of the outing. I should have gotten an after picture of Wes carrying Elise in asleep.

Reading with Elise

Reading with Elise has been one of my favorite parts of being a parent. I come from a family of readers, so reading to her is a natural activity. I started reading to Elise when she was very young - she always seemed to enjoy it. (Lilah June is just now developing the patience to sit through a short board book). We come home from the library with a huge stack of books, and Elise is ready to read each book, cover to cover, right when we get home. Our reading sessions are a little shorter now with Lilah June around, but still get quite a few books in each day. As Elise has gotten older, she has developed quite a passion for characters from stories, so we've explored a few chapter books. If the book has a movie, seeing it first seems to help her follow the storyline. Most recently we read Fantastic Mr. Fox, and I had to capture the moment on film. Some of the other chapter books we've tried have been hit or miss. Any childhood favorites you would suggest?

Will I need to label my photos?

The other day someone said how much my girls looked alike - that I was going to need to label my photos to tell who was who. I assured her that wasn't the case. If you compare baby pitures, they each have their own unique look. I suspect the older they get, the less they will look like each other. Regardless, they are both fearfully and wonderfully made, and the most delightful gifts from God!

Elise - 9 months

Lilah - 9 months

Elise - 11 months

Lilah - 11 months

A Walking Baby

Lilah June is officially a walker. She grows more steady every day. She is growing up right before my eyes.