Party Time!

Kaitlyn and Claire continued the birthday celebrations with a special Mickey Mouse party at our place. Friends came bearing their favorite toppings--sprinkles, caramel and chocolate sauces, maraschino cherries and candies--to pair with Matt's homemade vanilla ice cream, strawberry gelato and tangerine sherbet. For our part, Kaitlyn and I made cupcakes with hand-crafted Mickey Mouse chocolate nonpareils. Yummy!

It was a great afternoon filled with friends and laughter, and the girls were all smiles (except for when Kaitlyn ran away during the "Happy Birthday" serenade!)

Here's Claire

Claire got to open a few of her gifts early, as it was a bit much to watch her big sister open box after enticing box. I think she will be excited in a few days!

Happy Birthday, Kaitlyn!

Whereas last year, when all Kaitlyn wanted was a red wagon like Curious George, this year she had a hard time deciding. What she did know was that she wanted a Mickey Mouse cake and pickles for her birthday dinner (she settled for eating a burger and fries with her pickles at In 'N Out!)

Our lucky three-year-old didn't need a wish list, however, to be absolutely spoiled on her birthday! Favorites included a tricycle, little sister dolls, a stuffed tiger, a Pinkie Pie pony (for which she made a house), a cash register, Curious George DVDs, and Candy Land! Matt was collapsing boxes for an hour after the opening frenzy!

Yea for Grandma...and Travis!

We had a great visit with Uncle Travis and Grandma Kneen! Milestones from the visit included Claire taking her first solo steps and mastering the fine art of blowing kisses...and Kaitlyn pedaling her new trike!

Bumming Around the House

There haven't been many photo opportunities in February, as I have been trying to be good with my doctor-mandated bed rest. It was wonderful to have my mom out here at the beginning of the month to help out with the girls and keep me company, and when she went home for a few weeks, friends came to our aid with visits and meals. We have been so fortunate! Here are a few of my favorite snapshots from the month.

Valentine's Day Fun

Kaitlyn and I had lots of fun sending out Mickey Mouse valentines to friends and family this year. Unfortunately, half of our cards were returned because the envelopes were too small--our apologies to all of you who never received one!

Both girls were delighted to receive valentine packages from Papa Kneen, Grandma and Papa Hartings, and Aunt Jo and Uncle Kyle! Amidst all of the princess paper, Kaitlyn was delighted to find glittery sneakers, a glitter cup, and heart sunglasses, which she just had to model right away!

A Weekend Adventure in Portland

The four of us had a fabulous time visiting Tommy and Adrienne in Portland! Kaitlyn spent more than three weeks packing for the big trip (it's amazing what you need for four days!), and was super excited to show off her new bunny rain boots and pink daisy raincoat. Amazingly, we didn't need them much, as it was sunny for most of our trip...but there were still some great puddles for jumping in!

Highlights of the trip included the Portland Children's Museum, where the girls splashed in water and met the Tooth Fairy; the Portland Zoo, where we saw penguins and polar bears; and a hike to see three, massive waterfalls. If Kaitlyn should tell you that she went "hunting" in Portland, never fear--we weren't particularly successful at explaining the difference between taking in the flora and taking aim at the fauna! We also had some amazing meals: fair-worthy fries and burgers at Five Guys Burgers, a perfect greasy spoon breakfast at Skyline, gourmet fare at Iorio and Pix, and Adrienne's homemade guacamole. Yum!

Thanks for a great visit, Tommy and Adrienne!