Happy 2nd Birthday Claire!

Claire finds her birthday table first thing in the morning...



Excited to find a card from her big sister...



and from big brother...



The "big" present! (A Duplo farm set... it's super hard to find gifts that aren't stuff we already have (or total junk) and are perfect for a 2 year old and this fit the bill perfectly for us!)



"Fish!!!"



Her birthday window...




Arden got Claire a pink spinning skirt for dancing in and Walter chose a dress up dress that Claire promptly declared herself a "prunsess" upon trying it on. After present time Chris took all three children outside for some snow play while I got time alone to get the house ready for a small dinner party. While they were outside the mail came and brought with it a treasured baby from her cousins in Florida!

She loves this baby! Thanks so much you guys!




Luckily we managed the double nap and then it was time for friends!

Our dining room isn't that large but our table is! There were 13 of us!







Claire and Chava...



Cake and wishes time! We wish for a wonderful year ahead for our sweet little one! Happiest Birthday to Claire!



(That's a homemade vanilla and chocolate ice cream cake!)

17 weeks 5 days complete

There really is a baby in there!

Anniversary

Eight years ago today I was married. At the time I had plans for three beautiful children... not knowing I would have them all plus one more on the way eight years later. I did not know that the future held traumatic births for my first two children. It never occurred to me that I would have a c-section or a brain injured child. I didn't know that my Mom would be found dead on the side of her driveway, or that I would grow to despise my in laws for their utter narcissism.

The truth is I didn't envision much of what married life would be like. I was a blank canvas... waiting for my life to unfold in the realm of marriage and hopefully motherhood.

Now eight years later, here I am, and while my life has had more than it's fair share of travails, I am humbled. I have experienced profound and untold joy in becoming a mother, and it is this that I am most thankful to my husband for. He has gratified me with three awe-inspiring, magnificent people to share my life with and the promise of one more to come.

(Thank you Chris. Happy Anniversary! I love you!)

As a small token of my love I knit this nifty hat for him!



(as a bonus it matches Walter's... minus the pom pom!)