FIRST STEPS, Exploding Kittens, "Thank you!!"

President's Day and no school called for a pool day! Took Charley, one of his friends, and Marli to a public pool that we had never been to before and OH MY GOSH MARLI LOVED LOVED LOVED IT. She was FEARLESS! She kept trying to walk through the water, and I even let her go under a few times, and it didn't seem to phase her at all! 

A bit of her cake leftovers made an appearance...

She's been sticking her pointer finger inside the strawberries to hold it in place... smart girl!

"THANK YOU!!!!"

Got to go to Hobby Lobby, World Market, and Great Harvest with Grammy! Love spending time with just my mom and Marli...she even lets me read her the books I'm interested in! Ha! Trying to find us a "southern hat" for when we're true southerners in a couple months...

Pantry playtime!

These shoes from our friends FINALLY FIT her, and just in time, too...she's SO CLOSE to walking everywhere...

"Dad must be out of town dinner:" spaghetti and steamed broccoli! 

I LOVE this picture! Hahaha! Still figuring out how to slurp up noodles..

The "Lolly's sidekick" jacket...

Little daredevil! She's face-planted off of this thing a couple of times, but she keeps going for it!

So does THIS mean I'm an adult yet?!! It's a fitted sheet, and only took me 20 minutes to fold...

We started a new game over here called "Exploding Kittens." If you can get past the name, it's actually pretty fun! Here Charley is pulling out Valentine's candy to "bet on."

Deconstructed BLT in a muffin tin!

Took Evan on a date! This place is called Comedy Sportz, and was a lot like the TV show "Whose Line is it Anyway?" It was clean humor, and SO FUN to get out just the two of us. I love this guy!

Never too cold for ice cream. ESPECIALLY if it's Salt n' Straw.

Saturday was library day with Evan and Charley, too!

Walked around the mall for a bit and EVEN found a store that had size 15 shoes!

Marli and I tried something new for lunch! Baba ganoush and pita bread and falafel - we both loved it!

Can someone please tell me how I'm supposed to feel about this?!!

MARLI'S FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY!! Plus a gazillion and one pictures

Before the hoards of birthday pics...we can't forget about Valentine's Day! Here Marli's using the stool as her "walker"...she is SO CLOSE to walking, and I'm SO conflicted about how to feel about that!

Roses from Daddy for his girls. Red for Mom, Yellow for Marli.

Plus a chocolate bar for each of us... (Evan ended up eating most of Marli's...he just happened to pick one of his favorite chocolate bars to give to Marli...hahaha!)

Sharing some See's chocolates from Grammy and Grandpa! Grammy even hand selected ones that she thought we'd like. This one had pureed strawberries especially for Marli!

AND Grammy got her some strawberry flavored applesauce to try...Marli miiiiiiight just start believing everything has a strawberry flavored undertone...

Marli figured this out ALL ON HER OWN. Evan showed her how to blow raspberries in the bathtub...why not the couch?!

Celebrated her actual birthday with shots! Brutal, I tell ya. Just brutal. She finally stopped crying and looked at a book while we drove home, and when we walked in the house, Grammy asked Marli in a sympathetic voice if she got her shots, and Marli BURST OUT crying all over again! If only they could make all vaccinations into a strawberry flavored drink or something...

Happy birthday from Grammy and Grandpa! SO SO CUTE!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND her party!

Strawberry spinach salad, rolls, pb&[strawberry]jelly sandwiches, strawberry yogurts...

So many beloved friends and family came to celebrate. We all felt so spoiled!

AND CAKE OF COURSE! Think we captured this okay? Hahaha she was a bit hesitant at first, but then our friend recommended handing her a spoon, and that cake was HISTORY from there! SO GOOD!

Nana says she looked like Mr. Edwards! AHAHAHA!


Some more spoiling!

Nana got her an actual walker! It sings and lights up and does about 50 more things I haven't figured out...

McKenzie's sweet little one stuck an extra toy of HERS into Marli's present from them, and I want to remember that because I think it's the sweetest thing ever. I love her.

PSA for family - ALEXA DOES INDEED EXIST. We like her. And yes, Pete's wearing a bathrobe...

More strawberries after everyone left...

Our dear friend Teresa from church got Marli a little gift, and DIDN'T EVEN KNOW the theme of her party was strawberries! WHAT?!

First video is of her first 6 months, second is of the rest. I sure have set a precedence, huh?! Not sure how often a slideshow to this degree with happen again, but I have so enjoyed looking back through this past year. I don't shy away from being in pictures as much as I used to, and I don't feel the need to take perfectly poised photos.

So what if I haven't showered in a week, and my head is FULL of hair horns and my makeup isn't done and I'm still wearing the sweatpants I meant to wash 3 days ago?

What if no one is looking at the camera, or the picture reveals the mess of laundry behind me?

I don't want Marli to grow up thinking that we only show up when it's perfect, or when we feel totally put together...I don't want to avoid documenting this time in my life because it's not "just so." These moments are WORTH REMEMBERING.

These are the days and the people I NEVER want to forget!

My sweet Marli - I'm beginning to think that YOU are raising ME into the person - the mother - that I was always meant to be. You have brought your dad and I more joy and love than we thought possible. We love you so much!!!!