Let the Partying Begin

March 19th starts out our "season of celebrating" with our anniversary.  Two days later is Darrell's birthday.  Exactly 3 weeks after that is my birthday and exactly 3 weeks after that is Tyler's birthday.  We finish off our 4 consecutive months of birthdays by celebrating Emily's and Megan's birthdays in June.   (If the girls would have been born on May 23 they would have kept the 3 week "rule," but luckily they didn't come then because we were still in the middle of moving at that point.)

For our anniversary Darrell and I went to the temple and did sealings.  It was a perfect way to remember our covenants.  I felt peace and contentment the whole day, just like I did the day we got married 8 years ago.  We went to Culvers for custard shakes afterwards.  Earlier in the month my parents stayed with us overnight on their way to help my brother and his family move.  They babysat the kids while Darrell and I enjoyed a much-loved alone-time anniversary dinner at the Olive Garden. Then last Monday we watched our wedding video for Family Home Evening.  The kids LOVED watching it.  They didn't really understand how their cousins who are big now were such little kids in the video.  They loved seeing Darrell in his tuxedo and me in my wedding dress.  As is tradition, I tried on my wedding dress.  The kids were so excited to see it.  They wanted Darrell to get his tuxedo on too.  Tyler said, "When I'm big I'm going to wear that."  And the girls said, "I'm going to get married," and "I'm going to get a white dress."






The kids were super excited to celebrate Darrell's birthday.  For months they've been talking about their own birthdays with cake, candles, balloons, streamers and party hats.  (I'm not sure where they learned about streamers and party hats, but I had to go out and buy some party hats so they wouldn't be disappointed.  I did not put any streamers up for Darrell's birthday, but I will for sure when we celebrate the kids' birthdays.) The kids all wanted to help blow out the candles, so we lit them all a second time.  The kids did pretty well at not telling Darrell what his presents were, although Emily said to him, "You need to open up the candybars" which were from her.





I love experiencing our special days through the eyes of Tyler, Emily and Megan.  It truly is magical!