She's TWO!

Where did the past 2 years go? It feels like we just brought a newborn home and we were the new parents who had to figure out everything from feeding to diapering to keeping up with the house to figuring out how to balance parenthood/marriage/working full time... and it all did work out and I can honestly say that the past 2 years of my life have been the best 2 years of my life (so far.)

We had a family party for Laura Saturday... Grandma/Grandpa, Grammie/Papa, Great Grandpa, Aunt Megan and Uncle Matt, Rachel and Eric and Logan, Larry and Karla. It was a smaller group than last year, but a fun day for all. Laura really enjoyed opening her gifts this year and was trying to rip into them as soon as people started showing up. She has played all day on Sunday (her actual birthday) with nearly everything she got - her Elmo hands, her 2 kitty books, her new kitchen accessories and food, her new trike, the hopscotch mat, she loved her new crayons in the tub, sat with daddy and colored with her other new crayons, and is now sleeping in her new pj's.

Aunt Megan and Laura...

Rachel and Logan being silly!
The tractors are always a big hit!
Laura is imitating the kid in the book lapping up the kitten's milk...

Just like last year though - she had no interst in eating her cake. She blew out the candle (with a little help from mommy) and then wanted nothing to do with the cake.

This boy knows how to eat cake!

Uncle Kevin, Aunt Amy, cousin Hunter and Mason, Aunt Dawn and Uncle Kevin and Neleh - WE MISSED YOU GUYS!

This was taken Saturday night - the last night Laura would ever be our little 1 year old girl.

Sunday we had a really relaxing day. It rained all day. Laura was up in the morning and we all lazed around for a few hours - Laura played with nearly all her new toys (see above) and she loved her little 4 minute DVD that demonstrates how to do the "elmo dance". I think we replayed that thing 7-8 times before daddy was really sick of it.

Naptime today was from 1-3ish and then in the late afternoon, our neighbor friends came over for a little party. Laura and the 4 kids had a ball playing with every single toy they could find! The house was a mess but it was great to see them all playing together :) We had apples and dip and cookies and cake and hot mulled cider. (I'd share more pictures, but I'm not sure if their parents are okay with it or not.)

This time, Laura actually ATE some of her cake. I set a piece in front of her and she went to town cutting it with her fork and poking the frosting - and then she stabbed a piece and ate it. Just one piece, but she actually tried it.

Thanks to everyone who shared in the joy of Laura turning TWO this weekend!!!