Happy Happy Birthday Eva Dear

It's birthday party time for this 2 year old (as of May 21, yeah this post has been in the draft list for 2 months. Don't worry about it.)

6 friends from church came plus our little family friend Zach and cousins Petra and Mila to play and celebrate.

What kind of Dora themed party would this be without a pinata?

New buckets and shovels and so many rocks to dig up. It was a fun day.

visitors from Michigan

Baron and Great Grandpa Keith

Grandpa saving the day after a ball was thrown behind the couch

Grandma gave Eva some great birthday presents

Aunt Lynell held Baron a lot and he loved it

Eva just loved Grandpa and she still talks about him a week later

Of course the beloved backpack went to bed with her and we had to sneak it away

We were so EXCITED to have Grandpa and Grandma Johncock and Aunt Lynell come visit us from Michigan. The distance is far, but I'm glad we've been able to see them at least once every year since we've been married. When we were in Grand Cayman we'd make a trip up to Florida to their winter place and since being in Utah we've gone back to Michigan once and they've come our way twice. It really means a lot to me for my kids to not only know their grandparents, but also their great-grandparents. I spent a lot of time when I was growing up, playing at my great-grandparents farm and a big, loving network of grandparents and great-grandparents is something every little kid should have.

2

Mother's Day for the past 3 years has been very special. In 2008 I celebrated Mother's Day, having been released from the hospital the previous day and with a 4 day old baby girl. Every Mother's Day since has been wonderful. Even though I'm now a mother of two this day always brings me back to my first special moments with Eva. She will always be my most cherished Mother's Day gift.


She is two years old now. She is loving and kind; strong headed and creative. She loves to express herself in her clothing, coloring, and Spanglish words. She is a wonderful daughter. She knows we are her Mommy and Daddy and she trusts us implicitly. She will jump from any height knowing that we will catch her, even if we're not aware that we are supposed to be catching her. Her trust is sacred to us. We can tell from her smiling eyes that we are her whole world, her best playmates, and the provider of all her needs. We both cherish our relationship with her. She lights up our home with laughter and her budding sense of humor cracks us up. She has an opinion about meals, bedtime, and clothing. Well, she is two years old.

Stay tuned for some sure to be exciting Dora The Explorer Birthday Party photos.