Life with the Wallis Family: Yeah for the end of February!

What a whirlwind this month has been, now that it's come to an end. We had a fast, furious weekend that we wish could have lasted at least another day or two! Friday, Phoebe and I cleaned house. When Ryan got home to watch her so I could go get a hair cut (and my roots done, I'll admit), he looked at me like I hadn't done a darn thing. It's not easy to be productive with an almost 23-month old but I felt like we'd accomplished a lot! It seems we only clean when we have company coming so we were so glad to have a reason with Nana & Papa's visit - they got in just before 1:00 a.m.

Saturday morning started with strong coffee and donuts from Long's - it's the only donut allowed in our house, especially when Papa is in town! Then we opened belated Valentine's Day gifts, belated birthday gifts for Ryan and for Phoebe and me, early birthday gifts. We all made out well on this visit! Here is Phoebe opening a gift from Aunt Debi - a cover up for the pool - we can't wait for warmer days ahead so we can use this!

Note the demonstrative flair she has with her arm. She was quite excited about this pink number and had a fit when she couldn't wear it over her sweater to Bailey's birthday party.

We headed to Kokomo around 2:00 and Phoebe got her nap in on the way north. She was in great spirits and loved playing with Papa and the balloons.

Here's the nap-deprived birthday girl, cousin Bailey. She was a trooper with all the attention! Just wait, you'll see...

I've not seen Phoebe interact with a bunch of kids that were total strangers before - usually they're friends from school or church. Most of them at the party were older than her by a year, but most were ahead at least two or more. She ran so hard and laughed so hard. It made me very conscious of the need for acceptance and healthy self-esteem. It goes deeper than that, but we'll save that for another post. I still get teary just thinking about her running after the other kiddos, trying so hard to keep up. Phoebe truly had SUCH a great time, she even got Nana to play with balloons!

Here's a rare shot of Phoebe eating vegetables. She ate numerous carrots and even ate a raw piece of broccoli. Without the dip, of course. Go figure!

When it was time to leave, Phoebe wanted to give Cousin Bailey some lovin'.

Some serious lovin'.

Here's Nana and Papa with their two granddaughters. I'm just amazed everyone is looking in our general direction!

Phoebe started this thing on Friday that if she got a bump or a scratch, she'd need ice. She's quite the drama queen!

Nana and Papa drove back to Kokomo Sunday morning to see Bailey's dedication at church and then headed back to Georgia. Phoebe had a hard time saying good bye but we were able to tell her they'd be back soon for her very own birthday party in April. Not that she understood all that, but it seemed to work this morning...