Birthday time!

I've had several days of birthday fun this week! My sweet friend Keri knew that Abe was going to be away this week so invited the boys and I over for dinner on Monday night (Thai food & cake - yum!) and had Jess there as a surprise for me!

Keri's son Eli is such a ham!

Thanks for the great dinner, girls!

Keri's daugher Sydney loves her cake just like I do!

On my actual birthday, I got these... thanks, Abe!

My mom invited the boys and I to dinner that night.

My annual birthday peach pie - yum!

After the boys helped me blow out the candles, it was time to dig in! Riley had to stop mid-cupcake to tell a story.

There wasn't anything that stopped Jonah from eating his cupcake!

Snow Day!

So not only did I fly to snow in Seattle, I flew home to snow also! Riley had a great time "helping" Abe shovel on Sunday afternoon.

Ready to go!

Still smiling!

Getting the slide ready for spring!

Sisters in Seattle!

I'm so thankful that Abe has some control over his travel schedule because last week I was able to be away for 3 days to go see Theresa! This was my first time being away from the boys for more than 12 hours, and leaving was really hard, but coming home was so sweet. Abe brought the boys into the airport and as soon as Riley saw me walking down the hallway he started running my way and Jonah soon followed. Love them!

This pile of cuteness was snuggled in my bed as I was getting ready to leave (making it even harder!)

It's very true that there's no snow removal equipment in Seattle - our walk from the train station to T's house was interesting! Luckily some locals were cheering us along...

 My friend Cynthia (who I used to work with at the Girl Scouts) now lives in Seattle, so we had lunch on Friday!

Sake & cough syrup is a great combo!

Theresa and I are time sharing this purse that we found since neither one of us wanted to pay full price for it... clearly it's not my turn.

We love a good party!

Riley was invited to his friend Bella's 4th birthday party last weekend - a Princesses & Pirates party at her dance studio! Such a cute party - dress up items for everyone, games a craft, and CAKE!

Like father, like son...

Straight from the runway...

This is what all of the fashionable toddlers are wearing right now - footie jammies & rainboots!

(And for the record, he cried when I made him take off the boots at bedtime!)

Please Touch!

On this very cold, VERY windy day we headed to one of our favorite places - the Please Touch Museum! It has been about 6 months since we were there last, and in that time Jonah has gotten big enough to really start enjoying a lot of the play spaces - he was so excited! And Riley knew just where his favorite play spaces were too!

10 on the 10th

10 on the 10th might look different each month, but today it's about things going on in our lives, a description of our day and a few photos!

1. Last week I wrote about how Jonah finished up with his physical therapist, and today was his final day in speech therapy! We also have loved working with Miss Debbie (and I'm thrilled that we go to the same gym so we'll keep seeing her regularly!). When we started speech at almost 17 months, Jonah really wasn't saying anything, and now he's chatting up a storm. His favorite new phrase is, "I do it!" It's been so great to watch his independence and self-assurance grow with his vocabulary. Thank you so much, Debbie!

2. Today was a busy day - I dropped Riley at school, and then Jonah and I came home for his final speech session. Then we buzzed over to church for our monthly staff meeting, and then went back to school to get Riley. Thankfully Riley's school offers a "lunch bunch" option where I can send a lunch in with him and he can stay for an extra 30 minutes after school is over. He goes every month on the day of the staff meeting and he loves it (our special name for it is "lunchy lunch").

3. Riley also had swim class today - he's been doing so well and I'm thankful he loves it. Although I find it funny each week when I ask him what he did in class he tells me what toy he played with during the last 5 minutes.

4. We've rented a house in Stone Harbor for a week in June and Abe's aunt & uncle will be joining us! I'm excited to show them the real Jersey Shore and I'm looking forward to warm weather.

5. Riley and Jonah's school is starting to register kids for the next school year already. It's hard to believe that this will be Riley's last year before Kindergarten!

6. The thing that I'm most excited about right now is my trip to Seattle next week! It's a quick one (just 3 days), but I'm looking forward to some good sister time.

7. Riley had everyone in church on Sunday wowed by his knowledge of John the Baptist (or John the Bap-a-tist, as he likes to call him). He had a lesson on baptism and John the Baptist in school last week, so when he was asked questions about the topic during Sunday School and the children's sermon, he just popped out the right answers!

8. I've been taking down our Christmas tree & decorations the last few days, and our living room looks so bare now! I thought it was time to take everything down but now I'm not so sure!

9 & 10. I'm trying to be in more pictures with the boys this year, so here are 2 from today! Riley decided that he needed full construction gear to help me take down the decorations, and lately Jonah has been folding his hands and looking around waiting for someone to say a quick prayer so he can say "Amen!"