Last day in Washington

After a wonderful visit, Lily and I had to head home to Kansas City. Our trip was brief, but action-packed!

Auntie Ema came to give hugs & kisses to Lily before our flight

On the plane, Lily spent a short time in her own seat before deciding it was better to be cuddled up on my lap. Unfortunately, Lily had a fever so she spent the rest of the flight asleep!

In Denver, our layover was extended from two hours to three! I thought it was going to be miserable, but thankfully, we found a Jamba Juice kiosk to cheer us up. It's been almost two years since my last trip to a Jamba Juice and I was devastated to discover that The Berry Lime Sublime was taken off the menu!

The best part of our day was actually getting home and seeing Eric for the first time! Lily was so happy to show him her new outfit (Thanks, Auntie Lo & Danielle!) and I couldn't wait to sleep in my own bed! Hopefully our next trip to Washington will be this summer, and this time, we're travelling as a family!

Grandma & Grandpa visit!

Today was extra special because Ed & Christy drove down for lunch and Lily was ready to play!

After a long nap, we headed to Vivian's birthday bbq where Lily and the rest of the little cousins ran wild! The food was AMAZING (I miss Carne Asada) and seeing all the kids together was so much fun!! Although Lily was an infant the last time we were home, she blended in so well with the rest of the kids...it was obvious that this is her family! She just showed up and fit right in--it was almost as if they've known her all along and she's never been away from them! I guess that is one of the many ways families are precious--everyone belongs and we can pick up right where we left off, despite time or distance!

Lily had a great time hitting the pinata, but when it came to collecting the candy, she took a while to catch on! Auntie Marissa had to show her what to do since Lily seemed a little lost in the chaos!

Our trip home

Tonight we are heading home for a short trip to Washington. My cousin is getting married on Saturday and I am a bridesmaid! Although I am sad that Eric won't be joining us on this visit, I am so honored to be part of Liseth and Tim's special day!

Lily is 21 months old!

I can't believe that Lily is 21 months old today! 2 years old is just around the corner! To celebrate her monthly birthday, we bought a pink tricycle! It may be a while before she learns to ride, but this one comes with a parent steering handle and the weather is perfect for playing outside!

Lily is getting into a really animated and interactive stage right now! Her vocabulary increases daily and her coordination has improved tremendously! Last month I wanted to buy knee pads for her because she seemed to scrape a knee or elbow every time she was outside, but this month she has already learned how to gallop!

Sometimes I have to close my eyes when I see her run because her little legs get going so fast--it's the equivalent of the Looney Tunes Road-Runner move! I pray that she doesn't get hurt, but I also expect to hear a crash momentarily. When I look again, she's arrived at her destination and doesn't pause for breath. She usually does something funny, like a dance or silly face, then she's off to another corner of the yard! Lily collects rocks, adores digging in the dirt, and she simply cannot resist splashing in puddles!

The best way to describe Lily right now is to say that her energy is incredible! And it's more than her stamina or activity...it's her character and her heart! She has so much love for people and such a curiosity for the world...it's absolutely poetic! She is emotional and lively, and independent, and vibrant!

And at this stage, she is testing her boundaries and testing our patience. But even on the difficult days, she remains pure light, life, and joy for us!

Lily loves Go-gurt!

After months of enjoying yogurt from a tube, Lily has finally mastered eating it WITHOUT any spills!!

Is there something on my face?

During lunch Lily was very well mannered today--she loves avocado added to her turkey sandwich! She even seemed annoyed that I would rudely interrupt her meal just to take pictures.


But earlier at breakfast, it was a different story! As I stepped away to load the dishwasher she decided to make a huge mess of her turkey and eggs!

We just can't seem to keep our house clean with a toddler around...there's always crumbs or little drips from her cup...some days it feels like I leave one room to start cleaning another, and when I return, the first room is a disaster again!

But the wonderful part about her messes, is that they have really helped me learn to relax and enjoy life more! She is freeing me from unnecessary worry and allowing me to truly experience each moment we share as a family!

"Omaha...somewhere in middle America"

Today we took a trip to the Omaha zoo. Lily is still a bit young to appreciate seeing so many different types of animals, but I think she enjoyed doing something new. We took a trolley ride around the park and visited almost all of the exhibits. It was a long day, but we had a great time!

A visitor!

Welcome back, Auntie Marissa!!

Today my sister arrives and we are super happy about her visit! It's been a beautiful week and we look forward to having her here!

Penquin Park!

Lily is quite the little dare devil!

"This is how the big kids do it--No hands!!"

Today we had a play date with our friends, Missy and Raegan. It was their first visit to Penguin Park so Lily gave Raegan a tour. As you can tell from the pictures, Lily loves the swings and has gotten very brave! She's a tiny acrobat in training!

Rain, rain, go away...

There are so many wonderful parts about a rainy day, but unfortunately, it also means we can't play outside. Today Lily spent the afternoon by her window, watching the storm go by. She loved feeling the scattered rain drops carried in by the breeze!

Journaling

This afternoon I gave Lily a pencil and notebook to play with. Instead of drawing on the walls (which is what I expected) she actually began to write! She took the notebook to a corner in the hallway and truly appeared to pour out her deepest thoughts on the pages!

Oh, I wish I knew what she was thinking!!!

Feeding the birds

Spring pictures

Spring pictures

19 months old today!

Lily is 19 months old! To celebrate, we bought her a new tent & tunnel. We thought it would be a fun gift, because she really likes to sit under blankets with her books and dolls. After setting the tent up, we played inside for three hours!! She really enjoyed the tunnel, but wanted me to join her inside...It was a tight squeeze, but worth all the effort to see her so pleased!

Lily is still not a fan of milk, but Doc Hollywood encouraged us to keep exposing her to it. I'm not sure exactly how we're supposed to change her mind, so Grammy suggested chocolate or strawberry flavor may help. I was able to find these organic "juice boxes" of milk and Lily has finally started drinking a few ounces at a time. I'm not sure if the pros of calcium outweigh the cons of sugar in these things, but I guess its a starting point.