Kate's 2nd Birthday

As soon as I clicked the "yes" button on my computer asking if I wanted to update Picasa, I knew I had made a mistake.  Some of my pictures were erased, and it was completely human error, not some technical glitch.  It ends up the only ones that didn't make it were Kate's 2nd Birthday pictures, and the photo capturing our last trip to our mailbox at our old house. 

My parents have some good pics of Kate's party, so I'll have to send Kate to their house to see what her 2nd birthday looked like.

My mom and dad came to town on July 5th so they could see the kids, help celebrate Kate's birthday, and help me pack the house.  They were a HUGE help, and I don't know how I would ever have been ready on moving day if it weren't for them.  Grandpa played lots with the kids, taking them to the park or playing baseball in the backyard, while my mom and I worked on the kitchen and Tim worked on the shed and garage.  My dad also helped pack some of the toys and games.

We had another barbecue that night (I feel like I've typed that word a lot lately--lots of barbecues), and Kate got to open her gifts and eat some cake.  Grandma and Grandpa Flicker gave Kate a handmade Noah's Ark set, straight from Africa.  Kristi gave her a cute pink tie-dyed dress.  Grandma and Grandpa Choo-Choo gave Kate a Fisher-Price Tea Set (picture Kate playing with that all week, using an upside-down box as her table). Ethan gave Kate an apron and a blue ball (every girl wants a blue ball of her own, Ethan was sure of it), and Tim and I gave Kate big-girl underwear (she loves to tell me when she is going potty or when her diaper needs to be changed, not to mention she has a love for dressing up in big-girl stuff, so I figured underwear was a safe bet for a birthday gift. . . she'll tease me over that someday, no doubt).

Picture cute confetti cupcakes with red, white, and blue confetti and animal crackers on top, made with love by Grandma Choo-choo.  Of course we had ice cream too.

It was a great party.

On Kate's actual birthday, my parents stayed and helped pack some more, and then we went out to a favorite local restaurant for lunch, where we enjoyed chicken noodle soup, open-faced roast beef sandwiches, pie, and cinnamon twists.  The kids ate a ton!  We love that place. 

Happy 2nd Birthday Kate!  We love that you are in our lives!  God is good!