23 Months Old...Planning a Party!

This is not a very high quality picture, but it totally captures Marlee's budding personality and cuteness!  She wanted to wear these sunglasses through our whole dinner...Miss Hollywood.  ;)  It's time to get serious about planning her birthday party...yay!  We are planning one in Centre on the 25th at my parents' house with a Sesame Street (mainly Elmo & Abby) theme and water play (baby pools, sprinklers, water blobs, slip n slides, and water balloons).  Excited!  And April & Jon's baby shower for Samuel is the next day!  Busy, busy!

I know I say this all of the time, but Marlee is so smart, sweet, and funny.  She can carry on conversations now (complete with adorable ones over the phone while holding the phone with her shoulder and walking around!).  She is also VERY observant, and has started to put stuff in the top of her shirts like I do with my phone in the strap of my bra/shirt.  Too funny!  She's gotten better at throwing a ball, "reading" books, and climbing (on everything).  I now let her sit on the stool at the counter to snack if I'm busy in the kitchen, and she feels like such a big girl. Marlee is so nurturing if someone is upset, especially if it's a baby, she LOVES babies!  We still do things with the MOMS Club, and went to the fire station earlier this week.

(Sitting on the truck with Neve & Toby.)

She's still a good eater and sleeper, but will have to adjust our schedule a little...because she's STARTING PRESCHOOL ON AUG 14th!  Ahhh!  She's going on Tuesdays & Thursdays to Belmont Weekday School, will an option of going all week.  It's so crazy to have gotten her "school shoes", a lunch box, and prepping things to take her first day.  When we visited the class this week, she jumped right in to playing, and one of her two teachers was there and she was so nice!  We have got to clear our video camera so we can take more of our precious little girl!

And, Dave only has 6 class nights left until he is DONE with school!!!  We're so excited!

Happy 4th and Happy Birthday Daddy!

We had a blast with the James' Gang on the 4th of July celebrating with grilled food, swimming, sidewalk chalk, and dancing to music!  We made it home that night in time to watch the national and local fireworks on tv.  Marlee loves playing with Reed and Kalei!

Dave got off work a little early on Friday, so off to Centre we went for the weekend, and we made good time too!  We took another load of stuff to storage, then went straight to the lake.  I was still very warm, but the water helped!  We got to see Bev & Case before they left town, and Carly stayed all weekend, so she and Marlee got some good playtime in.  Jon & April, and Brandon & his friend Ashley (and now roommate) came into town as well.  Marlee and I went to the hospital with my dad when he went to do his rounds Sat morning, just like me, Ashley, and Matt used to do when we were little.  She got a tour and to show off to the hospital staff.  ;)

We celebrated Dave's b'day on Saturday evening with Chick-fil-a chicken, bbq, cookie cake, and frozen yogurt.  Plus, I made some blueberry margaritas... yum!  At dark we rode with Joseph, Kelly, and Marcus on the boat to watch the fireworks at Chesnut Bay, and they were really good!  We got lots of good hangout time, sun, water, food, and drinks.  My parents and grandparents came over as well.  And Marlee sang "Happy Birthday Dear Daddy" over and over again... so cute!!!!  The pic above is the only picture of the three of us from lately.

Now on to planning her birthday party, April's baby shower, and Ashley's baby shower!  The end of summer/beginning of fall is always such a fun and busy time!