Put me in the Zoo

My favorite book as a child. Here's grandma reading it to the grandkids.

The birthday bash

I love how Tessa sticks her tongue out when she is so excited!

Tessa taking her first steps at her party!

The Birthday Bug with Gramps

Tessa with Grandpa Jay and Mija

Cousin Kiana making her butterfly

The birthday girls

Siena with best buddies Sami and Brandon

Loving that cupcake!

Tessa with her cousin Kota. She is one month older than him.

Reading the book

Our happy bug

All the butterfly wings I made for the party

Tessa turns one on Wednesday. We had her party this morning, with the theme "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" from the book by Eric Carle. We chose this theme because we have called Tessa our little caterpillar since she was born with a fuzzy back and shoulders, which she didn't fall off til about 6 months, and she has a voracious appetite! We had a great time, with lots of family and friends, making little butterflies, wearing butterfly wings that I made, with headband antennae, reading the book, and watching the short animation of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I think everyone enjoyed themselves!

You are my sunshine

Last night we had our ward RS birthday/ward dinner/variety show party. Siena participated in the variety show by singing one of my all-time favorites, You are my sunshine. We think she did a great job!

The East Coast

Packing the girls around the airport
Yep, she fits :)
at the aquarium

Swimming in VA beach
Aeronautical museum at Kitty Hawk, NC
Parachute play at the beach house- one of the numerous fun activities that Mary planned
The 3 birthdays- Grandma, UNcle Danny and Tessa- all March 23rd.
some of the cool shells we found at Corolla Beach
The gorgeous view from our beach house
First European establishment in the US at Roanoke island
Jairus, Hyrum and Siena in an over-sized lounge chair in front of ACE
Happy Birthday!

I had never been to the south before, and somehow didn't realize that that was where we had ended up when we flew to Norfolk, VA, drove to VA beach, then down to North Carolina to stay at a beach house in the outer Banks in a village called Nags Head. Despite the name, it was quite lovely. And despite the "warm" temperatures for March (40s), we had a fabulous time visiting with family. My amazing sister-in-law Mary arranged the whole thing, and I flew out with my 2 girls, my mom, sister and her son Jairus. We met up with my brother Jeff, Mary and their boys Hyrum and Joseph, who live in VA. The first day, we visited the awesome aquarium at VA beach, then went swimming in the hotel pool. The next day, we drove to the beach house, stopping at Kitty Hawk, where the Wright brothers discovered aviation, on the way. I spent the next couple of days there, walking on the freezing cold beaches, visiting a lighthouse, driving the length of Corolla beach, finding great shells, going to Roanoke Island where the first European settlement was established, and had a surprise celebration for Tessa and Grandma's birthdays (both March 23rd. But the best part was spending time with family!