My Little Helper

 Levi's been learning how to use a knife.  He loved helping me.  It's so fun to have little helpers and I love how they love to help and serve our family.  

37 Weeks!!

 We made it!!!  Today I'm full term and I'm so excited to be this close to holding Silas.  I have to say this has been the hardest pregnancy by far.  I love feeling him move and I am blessed with great health but it's been hard.  I'm down to ONE outfit!!!  I have many others but my shirts don't cover my belly so pretty much it's one outfit if I'm going out in public.  Last night I put away pretty much all my maternity clothes that I know I won't be wearing, got out my nursing tops and I picked out Silas' first outfit.  I'm not sure if that's considered nesting but it sure feels good to have that done.  

Mema

Mark's mom came to visit for a week.  She left today and we miss her so much already.  What a blessing it was to have her here.  We have not seen her since November when we moved to Boise.  I think that's one of the longest stretches we have gone not seeing her.  Not only did we have fun but Connie cleaned my refrigerator, bathrooms, did laundry, cooked ALL the meals and I was able to take some great naps too.  I feel rested now and ready for Silas' birth.  I'm truly blessed with a wonderful mother in law.  

Lulu's 6th Birthday

We had a great day celebrating Lulu's birthday.  Mark's mom was in town visiting so Connie and I had a fun time decorating the night before and wrapping gifts.  We always celebrate birthday's in the morning at our house.  Tradition is that we eat cake and ice cream for breakfast but this year we had cinnamon toast and strawberries.  

I have been working on putting together a dress up box for Lulu and that was what Mark and I got her. It's been fun collecting all sorts of dress up things.

My mom gave me this pretty chest that she has had for a long time to put all of the outfits in.  

Both my mom and Mark's mom helped put some pretty things in the dress up box.  

That morning Lulu had 6 pink roses delivered from my dad.  She was so excited.  

Levi and Ila May got Lulu a new bike basket and streamers for her her handle bars.  

That evening Connie wanted to take us out to dinner for Lulu's birthday dinner.  Lulu got to pick and she picked a buffet that we went to with Connie back in November when we moved here.  

When we got home we sang happy birthday and Lulu got to blow out her candles.  We were all so full that we ate the cake the next day.  

Lulu's 6th birthday was fun and memorable.  

Happy 6th Birthday Lulu!

I want to wish my sweet little Lulu a happy 6th birthday!!!!  I probably say this every year but I can't believe she is 6!  My first born, what a gift from God. Lulu is a servant and loves life.  She loves to help in any way she can and her favorite color since the day she was born has been pink.  She loves anything feminine and girly.  She loves being a big sister.  She is very organized (unlike me), she loves to keep our family on track and enjoys making things pretty in our home. 

I want to share how we named Lulu.  When I was pregnant with her we didn't know what we were having.  We wanted to be surprised at the birth.  So we had to come up with two names.  I had a few names in mind for Lulu if she was a girl.  One I remember was Camille and if she was a boy we were thinking Tyson.  We didn't really love any of them and just couldn't decided.  There was this store in Cannon Beach, OR that I grew up going to while on vacation with my family. It was my favorite store and it was called Lulu's.  When Mark and I got engaged Mark took my favorite ring that I had purchased at Lulu's and had my engagement ring designed off of that special ring.  I bought that ring at Lulu's when I was in 5th or 6th grade and I spent all my vacation money I had saved all year on it too.  When I met Mark I was 19 years old I still LOVED this ring and that's why Mark surprised me by designing my engagement ring off of it.

So, the name Lulu has always been a favorite name of mine.  But when I mentioned it to Mark we both thought that we couldn't name our baby Lulu, it just wasn't a normal name.  Then one day while I was very pregnant with Lulu I was reading a home decor magazine.  There was an article about this lady and her home and her name was Lulu.  She was an older lady and her home was so fun and feminine.  Right then I knew that it was ok to name our baby Lulu if she happened to be a girl.  Mark and I were sold on the name Lulu if we had a girl.  So, when I pushed Lulu out and we saw it was a sweet little girl Mark looked at me and I looked at him with a big smile and a small nod and he announced to everyone that her name is Lulu!  And she fits her name perfectly.  

Click HERE to read last years post about finding out I was pregnant with Lulu and the link to her birth story. 

Zoo Boise

 We went to the zoo today!  It was so fun.  This was our first visit to Zoo Boise.  It wasn't a huge zoo like the one in Seattle that we are used to but it's not small either.  I wanted to spend some time with my 3 little monkeys children before Silas arrives.  This was a perfect way to spend some fun time with them.  

 This Lion has such a sweet face and was so fun to watch.  Levi was a bit nervous.  

 This slide was so cool!

 I packed our lunch and we ate by the fake and real tigers.

The kids got to get up close to the prairie dogs.  This was really fun for them.  There were concrete tunnels they could climb through.  Being 9 months pregnant there was no way I was going in them!

 Ila May loved sitting in an egg shell.  She kept saying "egg, egg, egg." 

 I found it funny that Levi was nervous about the Lion earlier who wasn't even close but he was totally fine with being face to face with the snow leopard.  

 Then the snow leopard moved a bit and he jumped back.

First Real Hair Cut

 Lulu has never had a "real" hair cut at a salon.  I have trimmed her hair twice in her entire life.  Her hair was getting long and it was very uneven.  Lots of tangles and tears trying to tame it.  

 There is a beauty school right down the road from us so I thought that would be a good place to go for a simple trim.  And it was! 

 Lulu brought her purse and held it the entire time. 

 Beautiful!