Birthday Party

We had a great time last weekend. Mike's mom and brother, as well as much of my family came all the way to Moorhead to celebrate Lily's big day. The weather was unseasonably warm and we had tons of fun. Lily has had to readjust this week -- she can't understand why she is no longer being spoiled!

Her new bouncer!

Waiting to blow out the candles

Her only requests for her cake: "Pink with sprinkles!"

Cute cousins

The water balloon fight

Uncle Jon getting cornered!

The pinata fall-out

The dads

The moms

The girls playing dress-up -- so adorable, and funny (nice pose, Madison!)

3!

Our silly Lily is 3!

My life has changed so much since September 22, 2006:

*I have lived a year without a single full-night's sleep

*I have experienced near insanity over many seemingly small things (nap schedule, strange poop, to snack or not to snack)

*I have spent way too much money on cute clothes she never wanted to wear

*I have cleaned up mess after mess after mess after mess. . .

*I have experienced worry on an entirely new level

**I have had excuses to wear stained clothing in public

**I have become less judgemental

**I have never tired of kissing those sweet cheeks

**I have a whole new part of my husband to love

**I have learned to appreciate the value of tickling

**I have felt love in parts of my heart I didn't know existed

Happy Birthday, Lily! We love you!

The Real Lily

Well, this little video pretty much simulates two minutes with our busy, sometimes bossy, bright and beautiful little girl.

(By the way, Ollie is tied to her trike in the background. Lily rides up and down the sidewalk with him trotting along beside.)

Hippo song

Lily learned this song at daycare and I think it is so cute. It is hard to understand some of what she says, so I put the words below.

In the beginning God made the seas and the forests filled with trees.

God made the mountains way up high and flying birds up in the sky.

His fingerprints are everywhere, just to show how much he cares.

And in between God had some FUN! He made the hippo who weighs a ton.

Hip-hip-hip-o-potamus, hip-hip-hooray God made all of us. (Repeat until dizzy :-)

Candy

Lily LOVES candy, maybe a bit too much as evidenced by her high regard for it in these two stories.

The other day I was rocking with Lily before her nap. We had just finished reading Barnyard Hullabaloo which has a page with a very angry bull. She asked why the bull was so angry, and I told her bulls are just that way. We finished the book, and I thought she had drifted off to sleep when I heard her tired voice. "Maybe if I give the bull some candy he will feel better."


Tonight as we were saying prayers before bed, she asked where Jesus is. I told her he is in heaven. She said, "Do I have to go there someday?" I told her she gets to go there and that it is a very happy place. Her eyes brightened and she said, "Does Jesus give out candy there?"