I Just Don't See It?

So strange that people say these two look so much alike, isn't it?

Happy Birthday Lucia

She's 2!!!!!! We had such a fun day. It was a jam-packed day of fun activities. We started with Mimi and Big Pappa letting us sleep in, which was awesome. Then we started opening gifts: a dollhouse from Mimi and Big Pappa. Then an Upsy Daisy doll from Bestemor and Bestefar, along with baby bedding for YouYou, her doll, to rest comfortably in her bed. Aunt Kate sent her a stroller for her doll that Lucia kept commenting was so "nice." Mary sent her some wonderful books, which was great cause our supply was getting a little tired. Uncle Josh got her the book Where the Wild Things Are and a stuffed character from the book.

Since we had gulp - 37 people - coming to the party, we did a LOT of the prep work last night and made lists upon lists of lists. We planned for ham and turkey sandwiches, chips, pasta salad and of course, chocolate cake.

It was an awesome party; Lucia wore her new tutu and dazzled everyone. She played a lot on the slides and swings while we waited for everyone to arrive. You've got to love/hate California for people running constantly late. It was nice because we had some time to breathe before the chaos began. It was great to see everyone. Big Pappa organized a game for the kiddos, which they loved. We sang Happy Birthday, blew out her candle and Lucia managed to eat 3-4 bites of chocolate cake without breaking out in hives.

We are SO GRATEFUL AND LUCKY to have friends who love us so much. Mandy made this teepee for Lucia. She MADE IT. Stayed up until 5:30 a.m. to finish it. Seriously. How cute is it? She already pulled her dollhouse into the teepee, and as you can see, she's making herself at home in it.

After the party we all took long naps, then went to In-N-Out for dinner. I asked Lucia if she had a good birthday, and she said yeah. "What was your favorite part?" I asked her. She didn't answer. "The cake?" I offered. No answer. The teepee? Upsy Daisy? Your dollhouse? No answer. I agree. It's a tough call as to the best part of the day. What an awesome day.

The Hansen Sandwich

Potty training

Waiting for the weekend

Wedding in Florida

We had a wonderful time in Florida. We enjoyed the warm water almost as much as Lucia, and we are looking forward to next time we have the opportunity to spend time there with the Harrisons. The rehearsal dinner, ceremony and reception was very nice, and spending an extra day really topped it off,

Upsy Daisy

So when Nina and Leif came over this summer, they presented a DVD for Lucia to help her relax before bedtime. I have to admit, I was skeptical. TV before bedtime? That's a good one. Apparently the BBC children's series was created specifically to calm down children. So we let Lucia watch one episode once in a while. Fast forward to two months later, and let's just say Upsy Daisy is her favorite thing in the WORLD. She busts into a gigantic grin when she comes on the screen and points and shouts "DET UPSY DAISY" (There's Upsy Daisy!).

When she's tired but isn't quite ready for bed, she now asks for Upsy Daisy. We absolutely love this video, and once we watched the making of, and the thoughts that went into the storyline and scenes, we kinda fell in love with it even more. 

Flower Girl

Without further ado:

We've Been Remiss

We are sorry for neglecting you! We have so so much to tell you. It's been a pretty crazy month. The low point, no question with putting Mrs. B down. From there it's been GO GO GO with our schedule. Our weekends have been absolutely packed, the past two involving separate cross-country flights. We are beyond exhausted, and beyond happy to be home for the next 3 months. THREE MONTHS! Lucia was on cloud 9 today; so happy to be home.

So, pictures are forthcoming, but here's a few tidbits to look forward to:

• Lucia is talking up a STORM. Her vocabulary is getting quite diverse, and we're impressed. It's fun to be able to ask her, "did you have a good time?" and have her answer, "YES!"
• Miss Thing was a flower girl in a wedding in Gettysburg. She was impossibly, perfectly behaved despite her shoes causing her bloody blisters. She ran so much at the reception she ripped her dress.
  
• Potty training is on hold. We ask her everyday if she wants to go, and remind her that if she does she gets chocolate. No!, she yells. Ok then.
  
• The family wedding in Florida was fun; taking an extra day to go for a boat ride and to the beach was extra fun and truly made the trek worthwhile.
  

Stay tuned for more!

Heading to Florida