Discovery

We have had a fantastic weekend! I just want to share some of the things that made it so great.

I got not one, but two birthday presents in the mail. One came from my sister-in-law Julia, her husband Greg, and my nephew Harry. They sent me a gift-card to Old Navy, which I am completely pumped about! I also received a sweater from my Aunt Lisa and cousin Natalie. They also included a bag of...get ready for this...chocolate covered potato chips! They lasted about 15 minutes and boy were they delicious! Thank you for thinking of me on my birthday. They were nice surprises!

On Saturday morning, Joe and I took the kids downtown to a place called Discovery World. What an incredible place! There were so many different exhibits to look at, ranging from the history of music to how a nuclear reactor works. There is also an aquarium open to the public as well. Joe and Ella were able to actually touch a few types of fish and Nathan enjoyed pressing his face against the tanks. As we walked along, there were places in the floor made of Plexiglas where you could see the fish swimming below. Nathan could not figure out what this was and would not walk across it. It was so funny! There was so much to look at and I think Joe could've spent all day there. Ella enjoyed the life-size model of a ship and had a blast climbing through it.

Nathan thought it was great walking up and down the wide halls and looking out the huge windows. I loved the views of the city and of Lake Michigan, and the big snow flakes falling were beautiful.

Discovery World is the perfect name for this place. Just watching Ella take it all in was amazing. You can just see the wheels turning inside her head. As the kids get older, it's becoming a whole new kind of fun. It's exciting being able to take them to new places and have them experience new things. Like "Disney on Ice: Princess Classics," which Ella and I will be attending this coming Saturday! I think I may be more excited than her.

On Saturday evening, we headed over to Nathan's Godparent's house. Brian and Jen recently got a new puppy named Becca. She is a miniature St. Bernard.

I'm pretty sure that is an oxymoron, but I swear it's a real breed. Ella and Nathan played nicely with her, and Becca was very sweet with them. Jen made a delicious dinner for us and Ella asked several times if she could spend the night at their house. We were all ready to leave her there, but then realized we hadn't packed any of her things. Oh well...maybe next time. Just kidding...we told Ella maybe when she's 4 or 5 years old. If Brian and Jen will have her...

After church this morning, we stopped home for a quick lunch, and then headed back out for a birthday party. Our friends Neil and Heather have a daughter named Kailey, who turned 3 years old. We went over to their house for cake and presents, and then went swimming at their condo's indoor pool. Ella wore her floaties and was able to stay above water without Joe holding onto her. Nathan had more fun walking back and forth outside the pool. He just goes with the flow. For two days, we messed up his nap times, but he didn't seem to care at all. He grabbed a cat nap here and there in the car, and was otherwise a happy camper. Sometimes you just have to be flexible with naps, otherwise you'd never be able to go anywhere or do anything!

So yes, we had a fantastic weekend, spending time together as a family and spending time with our friends. My wonderful husband even let me sleep in a little.