Growing older: A two-week long birthday celebration!

We love birthdays! We've been celebrating Elia's for two weeks now. It started with the family party in Utah that was about a week earlier than her birthday. We gave her the pink camera then. Then we went and got ice cream last week and had a party with our friends where we decorated cookies and went swimming. We missed a bunch of the people in our picture, but thanks for coming everyone!

Last week we also spent the money Grammy and Granddaddy and Uncle Earl gave us. Elia loved playing dress up with Emily and Samuel, so I went and picked up a bunch of costumes at the Goodwill. I bought an M & M, lion, tiger, pumpkin, two dresses, and a cowgirl costume. So, far they are a big hit! Thanks Uncle Earl and Grammy and Granddaddy. I am lion, here me roar!(The lion costume was her favorite)!

We are still waiting to celebrate Elia's birthday with Grandma. Since she is close and loves to see Elia opening her presents, we will wait until we get together with her (maybe at the end of the month) and have another small celebration! Hurray for celebrating!

A final note: Today after I changed Ethan's diaper I stretched his legs out and said, "You're getting so long." Elia then said, "I'm growing up by myself!" I looked at her and she was stretching out long by herself like I was doing to Ethan. She meant it as getting taller and that she didn't need someone to pull her legs strait, but I thought about how she really is a little girl instead of a toddler or baby. And she really does want to do everything by herself! She is dressed before we wake up and is very particular about what "goes" together. She wants to pick up baby Ethan by herself (something we forbid unless we are there) and loves to help change him and pick out his clothes. She has also developed this thing where she folds her arms when she is unhappy and is very vocal about her opinion. Yeah for three-year-olds (I can officially say that now)!