Emilyn's 2nd Birthday

We were able to celebrate Emilyn's 2nd birthday with my family the day after we got back from our Hawaii trip.  We had a couple days before we had to head back home.  It was pretty low key, just our little family, with Grandma Karen, Chunk and his girlfriend Heather, and Grandma Anne and Aunt Linda, and I just bought a cake for the first time instead of making one.  It was an adorable turtle, which Matt and I found appropriate since we got to see so many on our vacation, and Emilyn loves animals.  Both girls got to open some presents from Grandma Karen for their birthdays too.

 Sand and water table

 Some presents from Mom and Dad, favorites being a new "bobbie" as Emilyn calls barbies, all her very own, Rapunzel, and some Elmo things, a remote, a movie, and a spoon and fork set

Some books from Grandma, and a special backpack for Matisyn when she starts kindergarten

  Emilyn snuggled up to Grandma Anne to open some of her presents.  Poor Grandma fell on her face this week and ended up with quite a few black and blue lumps.  We can't get her to stay put when she is home alone.

 An ipad, which was, of course, the big highlight for the girls to share, and our family to enjoy.  How can you say thank you for a gift like that?!!!  Pretty amazing.  We've had to have pretty strict rules to keep it safe, but both girls are getting pretty good on it.  The best feature for both of them so far is the photo booth, they think it is so funny.  It has already saved me waiting for the doctor and waiting to get a flat tire fixed.  Yea ipad. . . and yea Grandma!

 Our sweet little two year old!

 Her favorite part about eating cake was getting to use both her new Elmo spoon and her Elmo fork!

 Heather spoils my girls, and her and Matisyn seem to be extra special buddies.  The day before we left she brought over this picture that she had made for Matisyn with her three favorite things on it, Princesses, Scooby Doo, and her looking like a beautiful princess!  Heather even framed it for her.  We have it up in her room now, and she loves it.

We were lucky enough to get to bring a piano home this trip.  Since Mom is moving, she doesn't want it anymore.  Apparently my dad's mom, Grandma Etta, bought the piano when I was little if I would take lessons from her friend.  I did take lessons somewhere around the third grade, but they were short lived.  I feel guilty now that I know she bought me a whole piano for me to take them. . . and now I so wish I would have practiced and kept up with it.  Hopefully my girls will show more interest.  We rented a trailer to get the piano home, and a few other boxes from my old room.  It slowed us down quite a bit, the normal 12 hour trip took 14.  The girls were so done with the car by the time we got home.  The picture above is of Emilyn somewhere between breakdown and sugar bribery.