ten smile tuesday...and a few museum pictures

I'll start with a few pictures from our visit to the museum with grandmommy and poppy last Thursday. Perhaps I will share a post full of pictures this Thursday when I am at my parent's house...take advantage of their high speed internet.

some "pat pats" for her favorite monkey...GEORGE!

introducing kate to the dinosaur

measuring dino bones...she loves to talk about "measuring" now

riding on poppy's shoulders to get a better glimpse of the trains!

And onto some smiles...

1. My husband...who planned a night out for the two of us...complete with a hotel room and everything! He surprised me by asking my parents to watch the girls overnight...so after church we dropped the girls off and enjoyed 24 wonderful hours off...time together...just the two of us. Browsing around downtown and at Borders....a delightful dinner at the Claddaugh...a stop in a chocolate shop....lots of chatting, giggling, resting, and relaxing...a breakfast at Le Peeps (one of our favs--although I don't think I'd been there in over a year)...all in all, a fantastic time...what a terrific early Valentine's surprise!

2. Picking our girls up....how wonderful to have time away...but even better to realize just how much we miss our girls after a little while!

3. Visiting the museum with grandmommy and poppy. The highlight of the trip for Elizabeth was actually the dinosaurs...which made me a bit surprised...I was expecting her to be completely enthralled by the Curious George room (but I think there were so many kiddos it just proved a bit overwhelming). Since Thursday she has been talking non-stop about the dinosaurs..."Dinosaurs make noise"..."Green dinosaur stamp" (the "entry" stamp on her hand)..."Measure dinosaur bones"...on and on! This morning when we got in the car to head to Wal-Mart...she said, "Go 'Seum....see dinosaurs!?" Needless to say, we'll be headed back soon!

4. A much-needed and thoroughly enjoyed visit from my friend Jill last Wednesday night. Mike was working such long hours last week...and I was just done. How fabulous to have some company...and the tomato bacon pizza she brought along was welcome as well!

5. Our color hunting fun. I must tell you...Elizabeth used to call everything "green"...this morning if I pointed to something that wasn't green she simply called it, "not green!"...oh well, the colors will come someday! It does make me laugh because she really does "know" most of them..unless I ask!

6. The crock-pot of vegetable beef soup cooking in the kitchen...and having the dinner dishes done! :) But really, soup sounds like the perfect meal for what is a dreary rainy February day!

7. Having daddy home with us for a four day weekend after his LONG stretch at work. It was too cute...I let Elizabeth stay up until he got home Thursday evening because she had started saying, "I missin' daddy!"

8. That our house didn't blow away. Tuesday evening I was home alone with the girls when storm warnings and tornado watches started flashing across the TV...and my mom called to make sure we were okay. Let me tell you, I HATE storms...especially the kind with the threat of tornados....freaks me out! Anyway...when I talked to Mike, he recommended I go ahead and clear out our coat closet and get in...just to be safe (yes, it is the only place in our house without windows on the first floor). When the storm hit I thought a freight train was coming through the wall...scary! But we made it...and without any damage! I had to share this picture of Elizabeth playing in the closet when it was all over....but I also must tell you; she wasn't nearly this happy about the closet while we were in it. But at least she found a hat she enjoyed playing with, right!?

9. The fun of planning a baby shower for one of my dearest friends ever...and knowing that she too will soon be a stay at home mommy!

10. Kate's absolute LOVE of singing...the minute you start singing the biggest grin ever spreads across her little face....priceless. Can you believe my baby is going to be 6 months old tomorrow!?